The Fishman Island Adventure
by XFangHeartX
Summary: A rendition of the Fishman Island Arc featuring my OC, Blizzard. Read and review, and no hate or flames please. SPOILERS! If you don't like, then don't read.
1. Keep That in Mind

One Piece: The Fishman Island Adventure

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One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Fake Blizzard © Me

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Summary- After they have finally reunited, the Straw Hats make their way to their long-planned destination: Fishman Island! Along the way, they run into many obstacles, such as a monstrous octopus, momentary separation, rival pirate Caribou, undersea volcanoes, and finally, the New Fishman Pirates, led by Hody Jones and Vander Decken IX. Upon arriving, the Straw Hats have an underwater adventure like no other. However, things seem to go awry when King Neptune and his three sons are captured by Hody, who holds a grudge towards all humans. It's up to the Straw Hats to save the day and show what they're made of after two years!

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**Ch. 1- Keep That in Mind**

It has been exactly 10 minutes since the Straw Hats reunited and have left for Fishman Island. At the Sabaody Archipelago, the Caribou Pirates have found the Impostor Straw Hats, and, as punishment for fooling them, they are preparing to kill every last one of them. Some of the Caribou Pirates are busy digging their graves in the lawless zone.

"Big Bro!" Coribou said. "It's hard to dig here!"

"That's because this island's soil is made almost entirely of tree roots," Caribou said. "Now shut up and keep digging!"

The Impostor Straw Hats are all in tears.

"Please!" cried the fake Zoro, tearfully. "Don't bury us! We didn't wanna do it!"

"Please, don't kill us!" begged the fake Sanji. "We'll do anything!"

"Yeah!" agreed the fake Franky. "Our cap…Black made us do it!"

The Fake Blizzard whimpered.

"KIHIHIHIHIHIHI!" Caribou laughed. "Why do you think I wanted to join the big bounty Straw Hats? I was gonna kill them all…from the inside!"

**WHAP!** Caribou grabbed the fake Sanji's face. **GLOOP! GLOOP!** His hand began to form into mud, and he began to smother his face with it.

"No! Drip!" cried the fake Zoro.

"Stop it!" shouted the fake Nami. "He can't breathe! You'll kill him!"

"Are you a Devil Fruit user?!" asked the fake Franky.

The fake Sanji, now known as Drip, began to flail and struggle to get away.

"STOP IT!" shouted the fake Sniper King, holding up a bazooka.

**BOOM!** He fired it, right into Caribou's stomach, but instead of it killing him, the bullet just sank into his body!

"AAAAAAAH!" the Impostor Straw Hats screamed. "HE'S A LOGIA TYPE!"

Drip suddenly stopped struggling and fell limp.

"What a let-down," said Caribou. "I expected the Straw Hat Pirates to look different after two years, but these guys were total copycats! God will forgive this, though, won't her, Coribou?!"

"Digging, brother!" Coribou answered. "Digging!"

"All right then," said Caribou. "Let's bury these fools!"

"NO! PLEASE, DON'T!"

"O Dear Lord!" Caribou exclaimed. "We're going to bury these little debases! But I've seen the real Straw Hat Luffy's face…with my own very own eyes. KIHIHIHIHIHI!"

XXX

At Grove 46, the gathering point of the Impostor Straw Hats, the Marines have gathered there, and are taking PX-5, 6, and 7 to be repaired. Sentomaru is busy reporting to the Marine base stationed at the island.

"How many times do I have to keep telling you?" Sentomaru questioned. "We couldn't do anything! The Dark King got in our way. Not even Old Man Kizaru could get passed him. What could we do? The Caribou Pirates and all the other greenhorns have disappeared from the plaza, along with the Straw Hats' impostors. We captured Demalo Black and some other pirates, but the Straw Hats severely damaged three Pacifista cyborgs, two of which are the same two prototypes that cornered them, two years ago. Of course, their strengths and specs haven't changed. As for the Straw Hats, that's a different story! While they were lying low during the past two years, they've grown much stronger than before! Report this to Marine Headquarters in the New World! The Straw Hats have made a complete recovery!"

XXX

In Grove 42, where the Straw Hats were last seen before they submerged, Rayleigh is sitting there, watching the sea. He heaved a sigh and smiled. He was a bit sad to see Luffy and his crew go, for they were almost like the children he never had, but he knew that it was all for the best.

"So they're already gone, huh?"

Rayleigh looked back and saw Shakky approaching him, putting a cigarette in her mouth.

"Hey, Shakky," said Rayleigh. "Yeah. They left."

**FWIK!** Shakky lit her cigarette with her lighter and took a small drag. **FWOOO…** She blew out a puff of smoke.

"Monkey and the others look a lot more mature, now, don't they?" she asked.

"You've been watching, too, huh?" asked Rayleigh.

"Of course, I have," Shakky replied. "I'm a fan of his, after all. I sure am gonna miss them. Sugar, especially."

"Yeah…" Rayleigh said.

"….Ray?" Shakky asked. "You thinking about the past, again?"

"Huh?" Rayleigh muttered. "Well…yeah. Ha-ha-ha…"

_Flashback_

"Whoa~! That's a cool ship you got there!"

Rayleigh looked up and saw a young man in a red leather jacket and a pair of jeans and black boots, holding a backpack over one shoulder and little Newfoundland puppy in his other arm. On his head…is a straw hat.

"What, this old thing?" asked a younger Rayleigh. "I stole it. My house burned down in a fire, so now I live here."

"Really?" asked the stranger. "What's your name, pal?"

"Rayleigh, and you are?"

"The name's Roger! This here's my little buddy, Ore!"

**RUFF!** The puppy barked.

"Rayleigh, I think it's fate that allowed us to meet! Come with me! We'll turn the world topsy-turvy together!"

"The world? Ha! You must be crazy! You and that little runt of yours, get lost!"

_Flashback end_

Rayleigh wiped his tears away.

"Maybe Roger was right," said Rayleigh. "Maybe there is no such as thing as coincidence, in this world. Maybe fate is the very thing that makes happen. Destiny just goes on, doing whatever it wants. And yet…Luffy has grown into a fine young man…maybe even more worth of the hat he now wears on his head. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad…to live just a bit longer."

Shakky smiled warmly at Rayleigh.

XXX

Meanwhile, way down below the water's surface, the _Thousand Sunny_ is drifting way down deep into the sea, carrying the Straw Hat Pirates with her. The crew marveled at the sight of the Yarukiman Mangrove's roots and all the beautiful fish that swam in the water.

_Wow,_ Blizzard thought. _I never knew the sea looked so beautiful under the surface. The world truly is a magnificent place. I wonder if Master ever saw this._

"Wow! Trees!" Chopper exclaimed. "Oh, wait. Those are roots."

"Oh, yeah," said Sanji. "Now that I think about it, the Sabaody Archipelago is really just a giant grove of mangroves."

"YOHOHOHOHO!" Brook laughed. "What a wonder of nature!"

"Seen it," Zoro said.

"Uh, YEAH!" Sanji snapped. "Because YOU got on a ship you WEREN'T EVEN SUPPOSED TO BOARD! NOW PIPE DOWN AND ENJOY THE RIDE! YOU'RE RUINING EVERYONE ELSE'S MOOD!"

"You know, you don't have to shout right in my ear. I'm not deaf."

"Forget that!" Usopp cried. "I thought I saw something behind us!"

"To think," Robin began, "there roots reach all the way to the ocean floor. It's so big, I'm at a loss for words."

"Uh, guys?" Chopper called. "I think there's a really big fish swimming behind the roots!"

"Wow!" Luffy said, looking up through the bubble. "I'm getting tingly, all over! I can't believe we're actually going on a real undersea adventure! It's like a dream come true! Ooh! Fish!"

**WHAP!** Luffy jumped up and grabbed onto the bubble, clinging on it like a monkey.

"Maybe I can reach out and grab one!" he said.

"LUFFY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Usopp questioned.

_Oh, here we go,_ Blizzard thought.

**SHINK!** Zoro pulled out _Shuusui_, eying a fish from the bubble, too.

"That fish over there looks good," said Zoro.

"DAH!" Chopper cried.

**BONK! BONK!** Luffy and Zoro are lying on the ground with bumps on the back of their heads, and Usopp and Chopper stood over them with fists raised.

"KNOCK IT OFF!" Usopp shouted.

"DON'T EVER TRY THAT AGAIN!" Chopper barked. "I'LL BEAT YOU BOTH DOWN! WHAT IF YOU POPPED THE BUBBLE?!"

_Okay…that's new,_ Blizzard thought. _Mental note: never get on Chopper or Usopp's bad side._

"Oh, brother," Sanji muttered. "Nami, would you please give these two dunderheads the dos and don'ts on the coated ship before they do something stupid…again?"

"Thanks for reminding me, Sanji," said Nami. "Rayleigh gave me instructions on what to do on a coated ship." She then turned to face the crew. "Okay, everyone! Gather round! I'm gonna explain start explaining the-"

"SHE MOVED!" Sanji cried. "A REAL BEAUTIFUL WOMAN~!"

**PLURT! PLOOSH!** Sanji's nosebleed sending him rocketing right into the bubble.

"AAAH!" Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper screamed. "SANJI!"

_WHAT THE HELL?!_ Blizzard thought. _WHAT'S WRONG WITH HIM?!_

"IT'S GONNA POP!" Chopper cried. "IT'S GONNA POP! DO SOMETHING!"

"HOW CAN HE FLY THAT FAR FROM A NOSEBLEED?!" Usopp questioned.

**WOING! POP!** Sanji burst through the bubble and ended up floating in the water!

"HE'S IN THE WATER~!" Usopp and Chopper cried.

"SANJI! COME BACK!" Luffy shouted.

**BWOING! WHAP!** Luffy stretched his arm out through the bubble and grabbed Sanji by the arm. However, he seemed to flinch.

"Unh!" Luffy grunted. "Oh, no…the sea water's making me weak…!"

Usopp, Chopper, and Blizzard grabbed onto Luffy and began to help him reel Sanji in.

"Come on, Luffy!" Usopp cheered him. "Reel that sucker in!"

"You can do it!" Chopper added.

_Hang in there, man!_ Blizzard thought.

**WROING! POP!** Luffy pulled Sanji back through the bubble, only for him, Usopp, Chopper, and Blizzard to fall back on the deck in awkward pile-up. **THUD!** Sanji landed on them not long after.

"S-Sanji…get…off me!" Chopper said. "You're too heavy!"

_Hey! Who's touching my tail?!_ Blizzard questioned in thought.

"Get your big butt outta my face, Luffy!" Usopp cried. "I think you're sitting on my nose!"

"Hey! My butt's not big!" Luffy retorted. "And another thing! Who's tickling my foot?!"

Nami sighed and rubbed her temples with two fingers.

_Yep…some things never change,_ she thought. _It's been two years…and I am STILL surrounded by idiots._

XXX

A moment later, after Chopper had gotten the water out of Sanji's lungs, the cook has been hooked up to lots of blood bags, much to Zoro's surprise.

"This is crazy," Chopper said. "Sanji was never THIS bad around women, before! Not even Nami and Robin!"

"What happened to you, Sanji?" asked Usopp. "It's like you're even more perverted than ever!"

Blizzard heaved a sigh.

_Just great,_ he thought. _At this rate, Sanji can't even look at one woman with bleeding out like this!_

"Pardon my interruption," Brook chimed in, "but a thought just occurred to me. What will happen when we finally reach our destination and meet the resident mermaids that Mister Sanji has wanted to see for so long?"

"When we get to Fishman Island," Chopper began, "we'd better ask for blood donors. I wonder if Merpeople and Fishmen have the same blood as humans."

"So the bubbles have the same properties as the ones at the Sabaody Archipelago," said Robin. "Astounding."

"HOW CAN YOU CALMLY ANALYZE BUBBLES AT A TIME LIKE THIS, ROBIN?!" Usopp questioned.

"You're right, Robin," Nami said. "Basically, the bubbles used to coat the ship and the ones on the Sabaody Archipelago are the same! They can both stretch to certain points, and then, you can just go right through it! On a coated, you can do a lot more! You can shoot bullets and cannonballs at sea monsters or Sea Kings that are trying eat the ship."

"Really?" Usopp asked.

Chopper looked back and gasped upon seeing the giant fish from before, about to open its mouth and devour the _Sunny_.

"Uh…guys?" Chopper called. "There's a giant fish behind us! Guys, are you listening?!"

"So, if bullets and cannonballs can't make the bubble burst," Usopp began, "then what will?"

**CHOMP!** A giant sea dog appeared and bit down on the giant fish's neck, killing it before it swam away.

"AAAAAH!" Chopper screamed.

"_Chopper, calm down,"_ Blizzard said to the little reindeer. _"Look, at least the giant fish won't try to eat us, now."_

"Chopper, are you done screaming?" Nami asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Chopper answered.

"Good," Nami said. "Now, as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted. Making multiple holes in the ship is a DEFINITE no-no. For example, if it were by the fangs of a sea monster, like the one we saw not too long ago, or a Sea King, the bubble would burst, and we'd be done for. The same thing goes for if we hit some rocks or jagged reefs and the ship broke apart, the mast and the hull of the ship could cause the bubble to burst, too. In other words, watch out for sea like and obstructions. Other than that, we'll be fine…unless we do something incredibly reckless."

"So the bubble's more durable than we thought!" Usopp laughed.

"However, Rayleigh says that 70% of all ships sink on their way to Fishman Island," Nami says.

"THEN WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO US?!" Usopp and Chopper questioned, terrified.

**Grrrr…!**

"What was that?" Usopp asked.

"What?" Luffy asked. "I didn't hear anything."

"Well, I did!" Usopp said.

"It sounded like something growling," Zoro commented.

"Yeah," Franky agreed. "A SUPER big something!"

**Grrrr~!**

"There it is, again!" Usopp said.

"Okay! I definitely heard it, that time!" Chopper said, hiding underneath Blizzard.

"It sounded like a sea monster," Robin mused.

"DON'T BE SO CALM ABOUT THIS!" Usopp shouted. "IF THAT'S THE CASE, WE NEED TO ATTACK!"

**Grrrrgle~!**

"Guys, relax!" Nami shouted. "It's not a monster or anything! The growling you're hearing is coming from Luffy's stomach!"

**GRRUUUUUUMMMMBLE!** Luffy's stomach roared, and others sighed while Robin chuckled.

"We should've known it'd be Luffy's stomach growling!" Usopp said.

"Like I said before," Nami said. "Some things never change."

"Indeed," agreed Robin.

Luffy laughed and gently patted his tummy.

"Sorry about that, guys," Luffy said. "Guess I've been hungry for a while, now. Hey, Sanji! Cook us up some lunch, will ya? I'm starved!"

"Luffy, Sanji's passed out, remember?" asked Nami.

"Oh, yeah," Luffy said. "Well, what are we gonna about food?" He then looked out to the bubble and grinned. "Hey, I know! I can probably use my Gatling to grab lots of fish!"

"Hey, Luffy! I got an idea!" Zoro called. "Let's see who can catch the most!"

"Sweet!" Luffy said. "Okay, on three! One…two…th-"

**BONK! BONK! BAKONK!** Zoro and Luffy are down on the deck again, this time with more lumps on the back of their heads.

"DIDN'T YOU DUMB-ASSES HEAR WHAT NAMI JUST SAID?!" Usopp shouted. "YOU'RE GONNA MAKE TOO MANY HOLES IN THE BUBBLE! WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS TRYING TO DO?! KILL US BEFORE WE EVEN GET THERE?!"

"DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN, OR I'LL BEAT YOU DOWN!" Chopper snapped.

Blizzard stared at his little brother in shock and maybe a bit of fear for his own wellbeing. He hoped that Chopper wouldn't be like this, all the time.

"What happened to Hachi~?!" asked Usopp, tearfully. "I thought he said that he'd guide us to Fishman Island so it'd be safe trip~!"

**GUUUURRRRRRGLE!** Luffy's stomach growled, again.

"Shh~!" Luffy shushed. "Don't make such a fuss in there! I'm hungry, too!"

"CAN IT, YOU!" Usopp barked. "NOW'S NOT THE TIME FOR YOU TO BE THINKING ABOUT YOUR GUT!"

"I can't help it!" Luffy argued. "I didn't eat much on the trip to the Sabaody Archipelago!"

_Are you kidding?_ Blizzard thought. _You ate almost all the food supply on the Kuja Pirates' ship in one day! Hell, you almost ate MY LEG!_

"I'm getting a little hungry, too," Nami said. "But Sanji's out cold."

"Oh, wait!" Luffy said, suddenly before he grabbed his backpack. "I remember the lunchboxes Hancock gave me! We can eat these, instead!"

"Oh, boy!" Chopper said. "Thanks, Luffy! I'm starved!"

"Me, too!" Brook added. "Starved to the bone! YOHOHOHOHO!"

Once again, Nami went silent when she heard Hancock's name and put her hand against the wall.

"Nami?" Robin called. "Is everything all right?"

"Yeah," Nami answered. "Everything's fine."

**KRAK!** She crushed a part of the wall.

"Oops," Nami said, smiling sheepishly. "Look what just happened. Sorry about that Franky!"

"No worries," Franky said. "I can fix it."

Luffy hid behind Usopp.

"She is freaking me out, man," said Luffy. "Why is Nami breaking random stuff when she gets mad?!"

"Hey, don't look at me!" Usopp said.

_Dammit, Luffy!_ Blizzard cursed in his head. _Can't you see she's jealous, you moron?! Stop saying Hancock's name around her unless you wanna be next!_

"So, Nami," Franky began, "is the ship stable?"

"Yeah," Nami answered. "It's riding on a big current, right now, so we can take a bit of a lunch break."

"Okay, then," Franky said as he sat down on against the mast. "You guys can keep eating if you want to. I got something important to say."

Everyone looked at Franky in anticipation.

"Could it be…" Luffy started.

Soon, the Childish Trio looked up at Franky with sparkling eyes.

"THE SECRETS BEHIND YOUR ROBOT PARTS?!" they all asked.

"You've got some more secrets, don't you?!" asked Luffy.

"Can you transform?!" asked Usopp. "Do you have any secret weapons?!"

"Tell us, big robot brother!" Chopper exclaimed.

Blizzard sighed in frustration and Nami petted his head.

"I know, Blizzard," she said. "I just can't figure it out, either."

"No, none of…I mean…I am afraid not-robo," Franky said in a robot voice.

"WOW! HE SPEAKS ROBOT!" the Childish Trio cried.

"Just pipe down and listen, okay?" asked Franky.

Everyone sat down around a makeshift table in front of Franky while eating the lunchboxes Luffy got from Hancock.

"Hachi was gonna guide us down to Fishman Island," Franky began, "but he suffered from a lot injuries at Sabaody, so he went home to get treatment. Same thing about Duval and the Rosy Life Riders."

"How'd they get hurt so badly?" Luffy asked with mouthful of food.

"They were trying to protect the ship at the island about a year ago," replied Franky. "When the Marines found out that _Sunny_ was there, there was a huge scrap, and those two had to call it quits, right then and there."

"What?!" Usopp questioned. "Then how did the ship stay safe after that?!"

"…there was another warrior," said Franky.

"Another warrior?" asked Chopper. "Who?"

"You guys probably won't believe this," said Franky, "but it was the very man who separated us from each other, two years ago. One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."

Blizzard looked up from his meal and looked at Franky.

_No…_ he thought.

"It couldn't be…" Nami said, mouth agape.

"You mean…?" Brook asked.

"Yep," Franky replied. "The one and only Bartholomew Kuma."

"The last time I saw him, Blizzard and I fought against him at Marineford!" Luffy said.

"Why would Kuma protect our ship?!" Nami asked.

"A few days ago, when I returned to the _Sunny_," Franky began, "I couldn't believe my own eyes!"

_Flashback_

Franky came to Grove 17, hoping to find the _Thousand Sunny_ there, waiting for him, and he did, but he also found…something else.

Bartholomew Kuma…nearly a complete wreck! He had swords stabbed into his chasse and he was bloody all over, and most of his cyborg parts were showing.

"I-I have been waiting for y-y-you," Kuma stammered, as if he were malfunctioning. "Objective: c-c-c-complete."

With that, Kuma stood up, albeit with a bit of effort, before he limped away, leaving Franky astonished, shocked, and confused.

_Flashback end_

"And _Sunny_ didn't have one scratch on her," said Franky. "Also, Rayleigh told me something else, later. It seemed Kuma whispered something to him during their battle, two years ago."

_Flashback; two years ago_

At the Sabaody Archipelago, Rayleigh and Kuma are locked in confrontation.

"I am an executive of the Revolutionary Army," Kuma whispered to Rayleigh. "I have a certain connection with the Straw Hat Pirates and I want to help them escape."

_Flashback end_

"Whether you guys know it or not," Franky began, "Kuma actually saved our skins, back there! After we disappeared from the island, he told Rayleigh that he didn't have much time. I don't know how the World Government blackmailed him, but little-by-little, he was turned into a cyborg guinea pig! According to the plan, by the time of the Paramount War, his personality and memory were to be completely erased."

"But Kuma sent us all flying off in different directions," Chopper said. "He couldn't have known what we were going to, and yet, he still guarded our ship? Even after he lost all his memories?!"

"He had Dr. Vegapunk, the man who modified promise to program him for one last mission," Franky said. "To protect the _Thousand Sunny_ until at least one of the Straw Hats returned. That's why even without any of his human memories these last two years, he fulfilled the command and waited for us."

"That's crazy," said Zoro, about to take a nip of sake. "Why would he do that for us?"

"If he talked about a connection with us and the Revolutionary Army," Usopp began, "then maybe it's because Luffy's old man is the leader! Right, Luffy?"

"I don't really know my Dad, all that well," Luffy said, chewing on a bone, "but I guess this means that the bear guy's our friend, after all."

"Kuma…" whispered Robin.

"The truth is," Franky started, "these two years have been very important to all of us, and there's no denying that Kuma was the man who made it all possible! He can't tell us what his true intentions were, anymore, but just keep this in mind, you guys: Bartholomew Kuma is someone we are very much indebted to, but if we ever see him again, someday, he's now an emotionless human weapon."

Silence.

"I'm grateful to him," said Zoro.

_Well, I sure as hell am not!_ Blizzard thought. _Why should I be?! I still think that Kuma's the worst thing that ever happened to us, and nothing you say will change my mind!_

"But still," said Zoro, "I've got a lot of questions that are left unanswered. I hope someday, we'll find out Kuma's true intentions."

"That's all I have to say," said Franky.

"Unh…"

"Sanji!" Chopper cried. "Are you feeling okay, now?"

"Yeah," Sanji answered. "I think so. What happened?"

"You passed out," Luffy answered. "Anyway, come and eat! It's a lunchbox I got from Hancock!"

"HANCOCK?!" Sanji repeated. "AM I REALLY SUPPOSED TO BE INDEBTED TO KUMA?! DO ANY OF YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH THE LAST TWO YEARS?! AND YOU, LUFFY! WHAT WERE YOU AND BLIZZARD WERE REALLY DOING?!"

**KRAK!**

"AAAH!" Usopp screamed. "NAMI, YOU JUST BROKE THE TABLE!"

"Oops," Nami said. "Sorry about that Franky."

"Like I said, no worries!" Franky said. "I can fix that, right away!"

"Dammit, Nami, stop getting angry and breaking stuff, already!" Luffy cried. "You're scaring me, here!"

_She won't stop getting angry and breaking stuff because you keep mentioning Hancock around her!_ Blizzard thought. _SO STOP MENTIONING HANCOCK AROUND HER, ALREADY!_

"Come, Mister Sanji!" Brook called. "Let's sing a song!"

"DON'T TRY TO CHEER ME UP!" Sanji snapped. "YOU'LL MAKE IT WORSE!"

But meanwhile, on a ship sailing behind the _Sunny_…

"Big Bro!" Coribou called. "Dead ahead! I see the Straw Hats!"

"I can see them, too, you dumb-ass!" Caribou said. "I'm not blind! KIHIHIHIHIHI! Looks like I'll be able to sail with them, after all!"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

****Don't expect me to update this a lot since school's back on, again. You'll probably see a new chapter on weekends.

Review, please!


	2. To the Deep Sea

**Ch. 2- To the Deep Sea**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard © Me

* * *

**URRRRRRRRRP!** A monstrous belch reverberated throughout the sea, which has gotten a bit darker around the _Sunny_.

"Nice one, Luffy!" Usopp praised.

"Thanks!" Luffy said, patting his rounded belly. "Ah, man, I'm stuffed."

"Me, too," Chopper added. "Those were really good lunchboxes, Luffy! Thanks for sharing them!"

"Oh, don't thank me!" Luffy said. "Thank- MMMMPH!"

Before Luffy could say another word, Blizzard grabbed him and put a paw over his mouth.

_SHUT YOUR FREAKING TRAP, YOU IDIOT!_ the wolf-dog thought._ DO YOU WANT NAMI TO BREAK THIS SHIP APART BEFORE WE EVEN GET TO FISHMAN ISLAND?!_

"What are you doing?! Lemme go!" Luffy shouted, his voice muffled under his best friend's paw, much to the confusion of the others, except Nami, who knew what was about to come out of her captain's mouth, next.

Blizzard sighed as he released Luffy, who walked up to Nami, who is sitting by the railing, watching the sea through the bubble.

"Wow," Luffy said. "Sure is pretty, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Nami replied.

Luffy gave a big (fake) yawn before he reached over and attempted to put his hand around Nami's shoulder. However, the navigator just brushed his hand away.

"Not now, Luffy," Nami said.

"What do you mean, 'not now'?" Luffy asked.

"Just…just wait a bit, okay?" Nami answered. "I know it's been two years since we last saw each other, but…there's no need to go so fast."

"Okay, Nami," Luffy said. "Whatever you say."

"Besides, I can't be distracted right now," Nami said.

"Oh," Luffy said before he grinned. "Okay! I get it! You're the navigator, after all!"

**Smooch!** He gave her a peck on the cheek, making her blush pink, before he walked back to the others.

"We're counting on you!" he said, flashing a thumbs-up, which Nami returned with a small (but fake) smile. As Luffy walked away, Nami returned to watching the sea.

_I don't know what the hell I'm so worked up about,_ she thought. _I mean…this is Luffy, your idiot boyfriend for crying out loud. I'm pretty sure he doesn't even know what it means when you hang out with another girl, even though he has a girlfriend. Besides…I'm pretty sure that he and Hancock didn't do anything. Although…he did say he and Blizzard landed in Hancock's bathtub. Then again, I'm pretty sure it doesn't mean anything…_

"Uh, Luffy!" Nami called.

"Yeah?" Luffy answered.

"Let me ask you something, okay, sweetheart?" Nami asked. "You said that you and met Blizzard when you fell in her bathtub, right?"

"Yep!" Luffy answered.

Sanji seethed at that reply.

"She got really mad, though, because I saw something on her back," Luffy said.

Nami's eyes went wide.

"You saw…her back?" she questioned.

"Uh-huh," Luffy replied.

"You mean…you saw her NAKED?!" Sanji bellowed.

"Yeah," Luffy answered, stupidly.

**WHAP!** Blizzard slapped a paw on his muzzle.

_It's been nice knowing you, Luffy,_ he thought.

**KRAK!** Nami broke part of the railing she was leaning on.

"Okay," said Franky. "That's starting to get annoying."

"YOU CRAPPY RUBBER BASTARD!" Sanji shouted. "I'M GONNA TEAR YOU, LIMB-FROM-CRAPPY-LIMB!"

Luffy gasped and screamed as he ran away from Sanji, who gave chase after him.

"NAMI, HELP ME!" Luffy cried as he hid behind his girlfriend. "DON'T LET HIM GET ME! HELP!"

Nami sighed.

**BONK!** She bopped Sanji on the head, knocking him out, once again.

"Thanks, Nami," Luffy said with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah," Nami answered.

Luffy then looked up through the bubble.

"Boy," he said. "How deep down do you think we are?"

"Not much light down here, is there?" Usopp asked.

"We've passed the photic zone," said Franky, "and we're almost to the end of the aphotic zone. We're at least 3000 ft. below sea level."

"It's so quiet down here," Robin mused. "It's nothing like any submarine I've seen before. It almost feels like we're flying through the air."

Zoro looked at Robin as she watched the sea before he looked up, as well, scratching the bridge of his nose, blushing a faint pink.

"Hey, look!" Chopper cried, giddily. "Whales! I see whales!"

In the water, there is a small pod of whales swimming by.

"LABOOOOOOOON~?!" Brook cried, eying the big blue whale.

"Ooh! That big white one looks like Old Man Whitebeard!" Luffy said, pointing at the white whale.

_I wonder what happened to him and Stefan after the war,_ Blizzard thought.

Not too far away, a pirate ship is closing in on the _Thousand Sunny_.

"Are you ready, men?!" Caribou asked to his crew.

"Yes, Big Bro!" Coribou answered.

"YEAH~!" the pirates answered.

"The target is right in front of us!" Caribou shouted. "It'd be easy to just smash their ship and send them to their watery graves, but that won't do us any good! No one would know who killed them! I have to chop their heads off, one-by-one, and bring them back with me! The whole world will know my name! They're completely unprepared for battle, so we'll ambush them! Don't ruin this, you bastards!"

"Aye aye, captain!" the Caribou Pirates cried.

At that moment, Blizzard's ears twitched, and then he began to growl. **ARF! ARF! ARF! ARF!** He started to bark like crazy.

"Blizzard?" Chopper asked. "What's the matter?!"

"He says 'We got company!'" Luffy said.

"What?" Zoro asked. "How do you know that's what he said?"

"I kinda forgot until now," said Luffy, "but since I've got Observation Haki, now, then that means I can understand what Blizzard's saying!"

"That's great, Luffy," Nami began, "but right now, we've got bigger problems to worry about!"

"Oh, yeah," Luffy agreed.

"Hey, guys!" Usopp called, looking out to the aft with his spyglass. "There's something coming behind us! What is that? A Sea King?! No, wait…it looks like…a ship!" He then turned to the others. "There's a ship behind us, and it's coming this way!"

"A ship?!" the others repeated.

"CHARGE~!" the Caribou Pirates shouted.

**MOOOO~!**

"Hey," Luffy said. "Does someone hear a cow?"

"A cow?" Nami repeated. "That's ridiculous- WAH!"

**THUD!** Something bumped against the _Sunny_ off starboard, and it is revealed that the Caribou Pirates have their rammed their ship against her. Harnessed to the ship is what appears to be…a sea cow with a giant bump on its head.

"It's a pirate ship!" Luffy shouted.

"They're trying to ram us!" Usopp cried. "They're trying to get in using the bubbles!"

"Who are those guys?!" Sanji asked.

"Get away!" Chopper cried. "You're gonna burst our bubble!"

"Prepare to board, men!" Caribou ordered.

"YEAH~!" the Caribou Pirates shouted.

Just then, Nami spotted the sea cow and gasped.

"It can't be…!" she said. "MOMOO?!"

Suddenly, the giant sea cow stopped and looked at the navigator.

"Aren't you Momoo from the Arlong Pirates?!" Nami asked.

**Moo~?** Momoo mooed, questioningly.

"It's me! Nami!" Nami called. "Remember?!"

Momoo looked hard at Nami, and before long, he began to remember when she was a part of Arlong's crew, when she used to have shorter hair and wore the mark of Arlong on her shoulder.

Then, he spotted Luffy and Sanji, and he immediately froze upon remembering when the cook kicked him in the jaw and when Luffy used him for his Gum-Gum Windmill attack.

"Hey, Luffy," Sanji said. "Doesn't that cow look familiar, to you?"

"He does?" Luffy asked. "Huh."

Momoo quivered as tears of fright formed in his eyes.

**MOOOOOO~!** He mooed/roared, terrified.

**BLOOP!** Caribou leapt through the bubble, landing on the deck of the _Sunny_.

"Follow my lead, men!" he shouted.

"Aye aye!" the Caribou Pirates cried.

"Oh, no!" Chopper cried. "Someone's jumping onto our ship!"

"KIHIHIHIHI!" Caribou cackled. "Your time has come, Straw Hats! Now, men! Slice off their heads while they're still confused! KIHIHIHIHI!""

The Straw Hats stood, shocked and unsure of what to do, but then, Blizzard spotted Momoo…swimming away with Caribou's ship.

"Hey! Where are you going, you stupid sea cow?! Captain Caribou is still on the Straw Hats' ship!"

"Big Bro~!" Coribou cried.

XXX

On the _Sunny_…

"Now, men!" Caribou ordered. "Give 'em a greeting with the Gatling gun! Kill the Straw Hats and…err…"

Caribou noticed that the Straw Hats are now staring at him like he was some kind of idiot. Blizzard then raised his paw and pointed behind him, and when Caribou turned around, he finally realized he was alone.

"Err…" Caribou mumbled. "Can't we talk about this?"

"Nope," Nami said. "Blizzard, get him out of here."

**CHOMP!** Blizzard bit down on the back of Caribou's shirt and lifted him up.

"NO!" Caribou cried, struggling to get out of the wolf-dog's iron bite. "STOP! PLEASE! I BEG OF YOU! DON'T TOSS ME OUT INTO THE WATER! ANYTHING BUT THAT! IT'S TOO CRUEL! HAVE YOU PEOPLE NO REGARD FOR HUMAN LIFE?! IT'S SACRED! GOD'S GOT HIS EYES ONE YOU! DON'T YOU REALIZE THAT?!"

"Ugh…!" Nami groaned. "Blizzard! Drop him!"

**THUD!** Blizzard threw Caribou on the ground.

_You got lucky, pal,_ he thought.

"Don't give us any of that!" Franky snapped. "You would've had your men mow us all down with a Gatling gun!"

"It wouldn't have mattered to me," Luffy said.

"Of course not," Usopp said, sarcastically.

"Who are you?" Zoro asked. "You're the ship of that ship, aren't you?"

_Yikes!_ Caribou thought. _It's Roronoa Zoro!_

"N-no! No! Of course not!" Caribou answered, frantically. "I'm a nobody! They simply use me as cannon fodder!"

_Seriously?_ Blizzard thought. _You expect us to fall for that bull-crap?_

"I'm so sick of that ship!" Caribou cried, falling to his hands and knees. "Your timing was perfect, actually! Can I please just stay here with you? Just a bit longer?! I'm begging you!"

"Wow," Chopper said. "I feel kinda sorry for him."

"_Chopper, he's feeding us lies,"_ Blizzard said to his little brother.

"What?!" Chopper asked. "Really?!"

"Hey, you!" Nami called. "Where did you find that sea cow that was pulling your ship?"

"Oh~," Caribou swooned. "You're a real cute chick. You must be Cat Burglar Nami- ACK!"

**WHAP!** Luffy grabbed Caribou by the throat and pulled him up to meet his face.

"What the freaking hell do you think you're doing, eyeballing my girlfriend like she's a rump roast?!" asked Luffy.

"What?! Oh, no!" Caribou replied, panicked. "Of course not! I forgot that she's YOUR bitch, Straw Hat!"

Everyone gasped.

"Uh-oh," Usopp muttered. "He said the 'B' word…!"

"Well, pal, been nice knowing you," Sanji said.

"Did you…just call Nami…a 'bitch'?!" Luffy questioned before he reels back a fist. "No one calls Nami a bitch and gets away with it, alive!"

"Mother…!" Caribou whimpered.

_Welcome to Hell,_ Blizzard thought.

**POW!** Luffy punched Caribou, right in the nose, sending him flying straight into a wall.

"And THAT, good sir," Sanji started, "is why nobody EVER calls Nami a bitch. Isn't that right, Nami-"

**PLURT! PLOOSH!** Sanji turned to look at Nami, only to have yet another nosebleed. Luckily, he didn't end up going out of the bubble, this time.

"NOW YOU'RE REALLY GETTING ANNOYING!" Usopp shouted.

"Maybe I should use some really tame pictures to rehabilitate Sanji," Chopper commented.

"Ugh…" Caribou groaned. "To answer Cat Burglar's question…we caught the sea cow around here. Experienced underwater travelers use sea beasts like that to pull their ships for them."

"Really?!" Luffy asked.

_And just like that, he forgets his anger,_ thought Nami, sweat-dropping.

XXX

Meanwhile, Momoo is still swimming away, taking the Caribou Pirates with him.

"Wait, sea cow!"

"What's gotten into you?!"

**MOOOOO~!** Momoo mooed, still frightened.

"Big Bro~!" Coribou cried. "I'll come back and save you! I promise!"

XXX

Back at the _Sunny_…

"Hey! Do you see any sea beasts?!" Luffy asked.

"Monkey D. Luffy, I hope you're not getting any ideas into that head of yours," Nami commented, now wearing a coat.

Meanwhile, Caribou has been tied up by Zoro and Franky and is now under the watchful gaze of Blizzard.

_Dammit!_ Caribou cursed. _I never saw this coming! Now what am I supposed to do?! They've got me outnumbered, ten to one! I can get out of these ropes anytime I want, but should bide my time and pick the Straw Hats off, one-by-one. Or maybe…_

"Hey, Nami!" Usopp called. "Aren't we going into a different direction than the Log Pose is pointing?"

"You're right, Usopp," Nami replied. "We have to travel southwest form where it's pointing to be on the right route."

"But why?" asked Luffy. "Isn't it faster to just go straight down? And why are you wearing a coat?"

"I'll explain that part later," Nami answered.

"Oh, my," Brook said, hugging himself. "It suddenly got cold! I'm getting goose pimples! Oh, but wait! I-"

"You don't even have skin, Brook!" Chopper pointed out.

Brook fell to the deck on his hands and knees in a comically depressed state.

"Mister Chopper," he said. "You can't do that."

"Oops," Chopper said.

Blizzard snickered at the sight.

"If we went straight down," Nami explained, "then we'd get caught in the sea currents and crash into seamounts or underwater volcanoes."

"Volcanoes?!" Chopper repeated. "The sea floor is scary!"

"But wait!" Usopp said. "I thought that the currents of the Grand Line are unpredictable! Can you really trust any of them?!"

"Just one," Nami answered. "Everybody, put on your coats! It's gonna get cold, soon!"

"Cold?" Zoro repeated. "But I thought we were going to Fishman Island. Since when are we going somewhere cold?"

"The deep seawater is SUPER cold!" Franky answered. "Even when you're in the bathtub, the water is hot at the top and cold at the bottom!"

"I get it!" Usopp said. "If the same thing goes for the ocean, then that means the water's get colder as we go deeper!"

"I never really liked taking a bath," said Luffy, "unless I've got my rubber ducky with me."

"Luffy, we're not talking about taking a bath," Nami remarked.

"There's a lot more to the deep sea than just a change in temperature, you know~!" Brook sang, playing his violin. "There's this huge ocean current called the Deep Current that we normally wouldn't see! Right now, we're riding the surface current, which flows in a completely different way."

"What?" asked Usopp. "There's a current below the current? You seem to know a lot, Brook!"

"YOHOHOHO!" Brook chortled. "I've been around a while!"

"And those currents are always connected somewhere!" said Franky. "They don't just branch off and combine from west to east. They can go up and down, surfacing and submerging like one SUPER giant dragon. The sea currents flow all around the world, completely uninterrupted!"

"I heard the Deep Sea Current flows very slowly near the ocean floor," said Brook. "If it were to carry you all the way to the bottom, then you wouldn't be able to see the light of day again for 2000 years."

"2000 YEARS?!" Usopp and Chopper repeated, frightened.

"That's right," Brook said, his tone turning somber and eerie. "There are countless legends surrounding these unknown currents, too, such as monsters, curses, and lost souls!"

"THERE ARE GHOSTS IN THE DEEP SEA?!" Chopper asked, frightened.

"GHOSTS?! IN THE SEA?!" Brook cried, also terrified. "HOW FRIGHTENING!"

"This is getting exciting!" Luffy exclaimed.

"I'm not sure about ghosts," Nami began, "but we're riding the down-welling current that connects the Surface Current to the Deep Current. It will take us down to the Deep Sea where the Deep Current flows!"

"Oh, yeah! That's smart!" Usopp said.

"But how are we gonna find the thing that'll take us deeper?" asked Chopper.

"It's just like Franky said about water in the bathtub," Robin said, now putting on her coat. "When seawater cools down, it creates a downward current."

"Now I get it!" Usopp said. "So we're gonna have to find a place where the currents go down!"

"In a way," Nami began, "the Red Line is a collection of interlocking islands. There are Summer Islands, Fall Islands, Spring Islands, and Winter Islands. Or course, the place we're to has the climate of a severely cold Winter Island. Then there's another condition to make a current plunge downward."

"What other condition?" Luffy asked. "Tell us!"

"You're not really getting this, are you?" Nami questioned. "Do you really wanna bother yourself with listening about the ocean's salinity?"

"Sure!" Luffy answered. "I used to play a lot with uh…saline stuff when I was little!"

"I'd like to get one of those salinity swords, one of these days," said Zoro.

"Just go and stand at the railing," Nami ordered, frustrated with Luffy and Zoro's simplemindedness.

"But-" Luffy began.

"NOW, before I totally lose my patience!" Nami barked.

"Yes, ma'am," Luffy and Zoro answered in unison before they went over to the railing.

"So, Zoro," Luffy said. "Where did Kuma send you?"

"Well, about that," Zoro said as began to tell Luffy where he had been.

"So, Nami!" Usopp said as he and Chopper held up notebooks. "Tell us more about this salinity thing! We gotta know!"

"Yeah, Nami! Tell us!" Chopper said.

Nami smiled.

"Well, at least SOMEONE is eager to learn about this stuff," she said. "You see boys, in order for a current to become down-welling, the water's gotta be cold and heavy! In extremely cold places, sea ice forms, and when that happens, the salt content…"

"So they're mystery currents, huh?" asked Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, and Chopper, all pleasantly sipping tea.

_Right~!_ Blizzard thought in agreement as he wore the same pleasant expression on his face. _Wait a minute. Did I just act like these guys, just now?!_

"OF COURSE YOU DON'T GET IT!" Nami spat. "THAT'S WHY YOU SHOULD ALL JUST SHUT UP AND STAND OVER THERE!"

"Would you like to sing, Miss Nami?" asked Brook, strumming his guitar.

"BACK OFF!" Nami snapped.

"Nami!" Robin called. "I see the current!"

"You do?!" Nami asked.

_Thank god for Robin,_ she thought.

Soon, everyone gathered at the figurehead of the ship.

"Where is it?!" Luffy asked. "Where's the Mystery Current?! What does it look like?! Is that it, up ahead?! Whoa~! So cool!"

Everyone gasped.

"Man!" Franky said. "Mother Nature is SUPER awesome!"

"That's the Deep Current," Nami said. "The Downward Plume!"

"It almost looks like…a giant undersea…" Luffy started.

"_WATERFALL?!"_ Blizzard said.

"Hey!" Luffy said. "How'd you know that's what I was gonna say?"

Up ahead of the _Sunny_, a huge underwater waterfall is flowing downward.

"It's going all the way down to the bottom!" Luffy exclaimed. "And it looks really fast!"

"Amazing!" Robin said. "What a magnificent current! It must be at least thousands of feet in diameter!"

"Awesome~!" Luffy cried.

"Hearing about this is one thing," Brook began, "but seeing it is absolutely spectacular! YOHOHOHOHO!"

"I can't even see the bottom!" Usopp exclaimed. "It's nothing but darkness, down there! That's it! We're done for! We go down there, and we'll be slammed against the ocean floor and crushed like a bunch of bugs!"

"Franky, are you sure it's safe to go down this current?" asked Nami.

"SUPER sure!" Franky answered. "Don't worry about a thing, Nami! _Sunny_ was built from the Treasure Tree Adam Wood! She's the ultimate pirate ship!"

"Hey! Wait! Straw Hats! Turn this ship around, right now!"

Zoro turned and saw Caribou, running up to them.

"Oh, it's you," said Zoro. "We forgot you were here."

"Look down the current!" Caribou shouted. "There's a monster!"

"Huh?" Luffy muttered. "A monster? Where?! I wanna see it!"

"I didn't realize that that thing was living down here!" Caribou cried. "The mass-murdering demons of the seas! The chaser of ships! The very enemy of mankind, itself!"

The Straw Hats looked down below and saw…a giant orange octopus with crushed ships trapped in its tentacles.

"It's…THE KRAKEN!" cried Caribou.

_HOLY FREAKING SHIZZ!_ Blizzard shouted in thought.

Nami, Usopp, Chopper, and Brook screamed.

"IT'S A GIANT MONSTER OCTOPUS!" Usopp cried.

"He's already crushed some vessels!" Franky commented. "It must've taken out all the ships that departed the past few days!"

"I don't know where it came from," Caribou started, panicked, "but it's snatching up all this sailing the Downward Plume! I never heard of anything like this, before! Please! I don't want to die, here! Turn this ship around! If you wait a few days, the monster could be-"

"Shut up, already!" Luffy spat at Caribou. "I just got a really great idea, you guys."

"Oh, please do share," Nami said, sarcastically.

"Let's tame the giant octopus monster!" Luffy said with his usual toothy grin.

3…2…1…

"WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Review, please!


	3. The Pirates and the Kraken

**Ch. 3- The Pirates and the Kraken**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard © Me

* * *

"What did you just say, Luffy?!" Usopp questioned.

"Let's tame that octopus and get him to pull our ship!" Luffy said.

"YOU'RE MAD!" Usopp shouted before he grabbed Luffy's face and pulled it down to look at the Kraken. "Take a good look at it! Then again, you don't even need to take a good look! IT'S FREAKIN' GIGANTIC!"

"It's probably hundreds of years old!" Chopper whimpered through frightened tears. "The Kraken is a monster that appears in countless legends!"

_Damn!_ Blizzard thought. _How in the hell are we gonna fight THAT?!_

"A creature that's all flesh and no bones," Brook commented, a cup of tea in hand. "It's my polar opposite!"

"WHO GIVES A CRAP?!" Usopp snapped.

"Hey," said Franky. "That's a pretty good sketch, there, Nico Robin!"

"Why thank you," said Robin, sketching in her sketchbook. "You don't get to see one of these very often."

"YOU'RE SKETCHING IT?!" Chopper questioned. "WHY?! AND AT A TIME LIKE THIS?!"

"It's fine with me," said Zoro, "but what's the plan, captain?"

"Hmm," Luffy hummed. "Well, the problem is we're in the middle of the ocean."

"No, no, no, Luffy," said Usopp, still tearful with fear. "That's not the problem here. The REAL problem is the octopus's size. Even if we were on land, your plan would still be just as foolhardy and dangerous, so let's just forget about it."

"Franky!" Nami called. "Turn the wheel and head south!"

"No way!" Luffy argued. "Turn to the octopus!"

"Don't be a fool!" Nami shouted. "What are you, blind as well as stupid?! Can't you see all those wrecked ships that thing is holding?! You wanna end up dead, too?!"

"I agree with you, Nami!" Sanji exclaimed before **SPLURT!** He had a tiny nosebleed.

Usopp and Chopper gasped.

"He managed to hold it in!" Usopp said. "Way to go, Sanji!"

"It's because of my rehabilitation!" Chopper added. "And because Nami's wearing a coat!"

_Are they crazy?!_ Caribou thought, questioningly. _Anyone who had enough common sense would run at the first sight of that thing! I'd better do something if I wanna live! It wouldn't be good if I stayed aboard this ship for too long!_

"BIG BRO~!"

**MOOOO~!**

Everyone turned and spotted something coming up behind them.

"There's something coming at six o'clock!" Usopp called. "It's the ship from before!"

Indeed it is. After giving Momoo another lesson in disobedience (judging by the bumps on his head), the Caribou Pirates have returned to rescue their captain.

"Coribou!" Caribou cried. "Men! You came back to save me!"

"We'll save you, Big Bro~!" Coribou cried.

"Yeah!"

"We'll help you!"

**MOOOOO~!** Momoo mooed/roared.

However, before the Caribou Pirates could get any closer to the _Sunny_, **SWUP!** The Kraken grabbed their ship with one of its might tentacles, and then, **KROOSH! KRAKK!** It crushed it, and the coating came off, as well!

"AAAAH!" Caribou cried.

Coribou and the rest of the Caribou Pirates floated helplessly in the water.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH~!" Caribou, Chopper, Usopp, and Brook screamed.

_How unfortunate,_ Blizzard thought.

"Did you see that?!" Chopper asked. "The bubble burst!"

"It crushed a ship even bigger than _Sunny_!" Usopp cried.

"MY MEN~!" Caribou sobbed as he watched his brother and his crew float up to the surface.

"They look like jellyfish," Zoro mused, nonchalantly.

"SHUT IT, RORONOA!" Caribou snapped.

**SWOOSH!** The Kraken swung its huge tentacles at the _Sunny_, preparing to crush it like it did to the Caribou's ship.

"WAH!" Usopp cried. "LOOK OUT!"

**SHINK!** Zoro prepared to draw his swords.

"I'll handle this!" Luffy said as he put his thumb in his mouth. "Gear TH- WAH!"

**WHAP!** Usopp grabbed Luffy and Zoro from behind.

"IXNAY!" he shouted. "IF YOU GUYS TRY TO FIGHT, YOU'LL POP THE BUBBLE!"

"I got it covered!" Franky called. "Chicken VOYAGE!"

**WHIRRR! SWIP!** The _Sunny's_ mane began to spin, causing her to go backwards and just barely dodging the Kraken's tentacle.

"Franky! Quick!" Nami called. "Use a Coup de Burst and get us into a descending current! That should work, right?"

"SUPER no can do!" Franky replied. "I considered it, but there's a bit of a problem! The Coup de Burst and the Gaon Cannon both shoot out compressed air. Don't forget, we're underwater, right now, and that means that we have a limited amount of air! If we use them, the bubble around us will collapse on us!"

"Oh, no!" Nami cried, tearfully. "You're right! If we can't use those, then what are we supposed to do?!"

"Nothing!" Luffy shouted. "We're gonna go and fight it!"

"No, don't!" Chopper cried. "You'll burst the bubble, Luffy!"

"Wait!"

The Straw Hats turn to look at Caribou.

"Straw Hat Luffy!" Caribou called. "If you want to fight, then I've got a plan for you!"

"You do?" Luffy asked.

_I don't like the sound of that,_ Blizzard thought.

_If I leave these dumb-asses to their own devices,_ Caribou thought, _then they're get me killed along with them!_

XXX

About maybe 5 minutes later, Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Blizzard are standing inside large bubbles with ropes tied around their waists.

"This is the improvised swim coating!" Caribou explained.

"Whoa!" Luffy said. "Cool!"

"They're special diving suits!" replied Caribou. "Now remember, the rope that you're tied up with is your lifeline! Keep it tied to yourselves once you get out in the water! You won't have to stick close to the ship and fight as much as you want!"

"Awesome!" Luffy exclaimed. "Maybe you're not such a bad guy after all! Even if you did call Nami a bitch."

"Hey, hey, hey!" Usopp shouted. "Wait just one damn minute! Don't you go putting any crazy-ass ideas into their heads, outsiders! We're trying to keep to escape from that thing! Keep this up, and we really WILL have to fight it!"

"Don't you play the Blame Game with me!" Caribou shouted. "I told him to escape from the very beginning, but no~! Your idiot captain just refused to listen to me! So either he stays here on the ship and gets us all killed, or he goes out there and fight so our lives can be spared! Take your pick!"

Usopp paused for a moment.

"Go on, Luffy!" he called to his captain. "Get out there and fight, and as far as you can get!"

"If you really are gonna fight that thing, Monkey D. Luffy, then keep as far away from the ship as possible!" Nami shouted.

"Sure thing, Nami!" Luffy said. "But first, I gotta rid of this stupid rope."

"_Hey, hey, wait!"_ Blizzard said to Luffy, telepathically. _"Are you crazy?! That's our lifeline!"_

"It's in the way!" Luffy called as he, Zoro, and Sanji went out of the bubble that surrounded the ship. "Now are you coming or not?!"

_Ah, screw this,_ Blizzard thought. _Lifeline or no lifeline, I can't let him go out there just to get himself killed!_

With that, the wolf-dog followed Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji without his lifeline.

"Hey, guys! Wait!" Nami called. "You can't just go out there without the lifeline! How are we supposed to stick together?!"

"Nami is worried about me~!" Sanji called.

**SPLURT!** He had another nosebleed, but it was still not as bad as the previous.

"Zoro! Sanji! Blizzard!" Luffy called. "Buy me some time, you guys! I'm gonna hit it with something huge!"

"In that case, I might beat it before you get the chance," said Zoro.

"No way!" Luffy spat. "You'll just cut it up! We're gonna keep the octopus as a pet!"

…_you know what?_ Blizzard thought. _I'll just go along with his crazy-ass whims._

**SWUP!** The Kraken attempted to grab the _Sunny_, again.

"HERE IT COMES, AGAIN!" Usopp cried.

"SUPER leave it to me!" Franky shouted. **KACHAK!** He opened up his shoulder, revealing three rockets inside. "Franky…ROCKET LAUNCHER!"

**BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!** Franky fired the rockets from his shoulder.

"WOOOOOOOOOOW!" Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper cried, eyes twinkling and teary.

_Okay, I'll admit it,_ Blizzard thought. _That's quite impressive!_

**KABOOM!** The rockets hit the Kraken's tentacle, forcing it back.

"You did it, Franky!" Usopp shouted. "You deflected it!"

"Such power!" Chopper cried.

**SHWUP!** The Kraken attempted to grab the _Sunny_ from behind.

"NOT AGAIN!" Nami screamed.

"Why does it keep coming after us?!" Chopper cried. "GUARD POINT!"

**FWUMP!** The Kraken did end up hitting the ship, but it couldn't crush it, for Chopper had grown into a giant ball of fur.

"Whoa!" Usopp cried. "Way to go, Chopper! You blocked it!"

"Are you guys okay?!" Chopper asked.

"We're fine, thanks to you!" Nami said.

Blizzard smirked from his bubble.

_That's my little buddy!_ he thought.

**SHWOO!** The Kraken ended up sending _Sunny_ spinning away, right towards a seamount.

"YOHOHO!" Brook screamed. "INCOMING SEAMOUNT!"

Robin suddenly crossed her arms.

"I might be able to do it for just a moment, even if we are underwater!" Robin said. "MIL FLEUR! GIGANTESCO MANO!"

**FWUP! FWUP! FWUP!** Millions of Robin's arms sprouted from the _Sunny's_ hull, forming a pair of gigantic arms, which pushed the ship away from the seamount, just in time!

"Yes!" Nami cheered. "Way to go, Robin!"

"We're saved!" Usopp cried.

"Hooray for Robin!" Chopper chimed in.

Robin just smiled.

"Now it's my turn!" Luffy exclaimed before he put his thumb in his mouth. "Gear…THIRD!"

Luffy took in a deep breath, causing his torso to expand. **PLOOSH!** He stretched his arm into the water before he put his thumb in his mouth, bit a hole into it, and blew air into his hand, causing it to expand. The air shifted from his left arm to his right arm, which is in the water, causing his fist to grow.

"Armaments…HARDENING!"

**SHEEN!** Luffy's became black and shiny.

"What is he doing?!" Usopp questioned.

"It wasn't like that before!" Chopper exclaimed.

The Kraken growled at Luffy, who seemed to be straining himself.

"Dammit!" Luffy cursed. "The seawater…is making me weak!"

"_Hang tight, Luffy!"_ Blizzard called to his master. _"We'll be you some time!"_

"Go!" Luffy shouted. "And make it fast! I don't know how long I can hold this up!"

Blizzard swam towards the Kraken, which held up another one of its tentacles and attempted to swing it at Luffy.

_Trying to grab him, eh?_ Blizzard thought. _I don't think so!_

**SHEEN!** Blizzard's teeth became black and shiny, like Luffy's arm.

_Steel FANG!_ the wolf-dog cried in thought.

**CHOMP!** Blizzard bit down on the Kraken's tentacle like scissors on paper, causing it to split in two!

The Kraken seemed to roar in pain.

"WOW!" Chopper cried. "Did you see that?! Way to go, Blizzard!"

Blizzard smirked as the Kraken writhed in pain.

_Those two years really paid off,_ he thought. _After fighting off those animals and chewing on steel ore, my bite force has become a lot strong than ever, especially with my new and improved Armaments Haki._

**SWUP!** The Kraken reached one of its tentacles toward Luffy, once again.

"Damn that crap octopus," Sanji cursed. "It's not giving up, yet! Blue WALK!"

**WHOOSH! TUP! TUP! TUP! TUP! TUP!** Sanji jumped out of his bubble, and he seemed to be running through the water, and at breakneck speed, too!

"Oh, my!" Brook cried. "Mister Sanji just left his bubble!"

"Never mind that!" Usopp shouted. "Do you see how fast he's going?! He's like a Fishman!"

_For 2 whole years, I ran from those damn abominations,_ Sanji thought. _Compared to them, this monster's nothing! It actually looks pretty cute, to me!_

"Diable JAMBE!"

**WHOOSH!** Sanji spun around, causing his leg to go ablaze.

"Bien Cuit…GRILL SHOT!"

**THWAM!** Sanji kicked the Kraken's tentacle, leaving behind a grill-like mark. **GLUB! GLUB!** Some bubble started coming out of Sanji's closed mouth.

_Uh-oh,_ he thought. _I need to breathe! Quick!_

The Kraken glared at Sanji, who is trying to running back to his bubble before he ran out of air. **SWUP!** It prepared to bring another one of its tentacles down on him, but then…

"Three-Swords Style…CROSSING THE SIX PATHS!"

**SHWAK!** Faster than lightning, Zoro made an inverted S-shaped slashed, causing the Kraken's tentacle to be cut into six parts!

"So this is the monster that rules of the seas?" Zoro questioned. "How pathetic."

_I feel grateful, when I think about it,_ the swordsman thought. _I got to fight every single day for the past 2 years…just to top him. Even now, I'll still get stronger than him!_

On the _Sunny_, the Straw Hats stared in awe at Zoro's new power.

"Whoa…!" Franky said.

"I didn't see him move!" Usopp exclaimed.

Robin just stared in silence, her lips parted slightly in surprise.

"Amazing…" she muttered.

Sanji, who had gotten back into his bubble, seethed at Zoro.

"I could've handled it, you know," he said.

"Yeah, right, Number 7," Zoro said.

"How I about I kill you, here and now?!" Sanji questioned.

"Bring it on!" Zoro spat. "I'll take you on, any day!"

"HEY, YOU GUYS! CUT IT OUT!" Luffy shouted. "I SAID DON'T CUT OFF HIS ARMS!"

"_Hey, what did you want us to do?!"_ Blizzard asked. _"Just stand back and let it try to kill you?! You asked us to buy you some time, remember?!"_

"Look, just stand back, okay?!" Luffy asked. "I've got this!"

Zoro, Sanji, and Blizzard obeyed and swam out of their captain's ranger.

"Gum GUUUUUUUM…ELEPHANT GUN~!"

**WHABAM!** Luffy punched the Kraken right in the face!

Caribou gasped in disbelief.

"Did you see that?!" Usopp questioned. "He clobbered it!"

"He really has gotten so much stronger!" Nami cried.

"Huh?" Chopper muttered. "Hey! Something's coming out of the octopus!"

**BLUP! BLUP! POP!** Something did emerge from one of the Kraken's funnels. It is revealed to be a hark a big as the _Sunny_, and for some reason, it is wearing a Criminal brand T-shirt.

"Huh?" Luffy muttered, surprisingly not shrunken like he always did after using Gear Third. "A shark?"

"It's a big one," Zoro commented.

"Why's it wearing a shirt?" Sanji asked.

_Maybe it's a shark with fashion sense,_ Blizzard thought.

The shark swam up to the _Sunny_, smiling.

**SHAA! SHAA!** The shark cried.

"What did it say?" asked Nami.

"He said, 'Thanks for saving me!'" Chopper translated.

**BLUP! BLUP! BLUP!** The shark swam away, going down the Downward Plume. However, it wasn't the only one. The unconscious Kraken began to fall down below, as well, and not only that, but it dragged Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Blizzard down with it.

"WHOOOOOAAA!" Zoro and Sanji cried.

"YAHOO-HOO-HOOOO~!" Luffy cheered.

_**AWWOOOOOOOOOO~!**_ Blizzard howled in terror.

"Oh, no!" Robin cried. "They've been caught in the Downward Plume!"

"This is bad!" Usopp cried. "Quick! We gotta go after them!"

**SWOOOOOOO~!** The current started to drag the _Sunny_ down, as well.

"Uh-oh!" Nami cried. "Everybody, grab onto something! Franky, push the hull to port, or else we'll hit the continental shelf!"

"Got it!" Franky shouted before he grabbed the helm. "Hold on SUPER tight, people!"

"Everybody, stay alert!" Nami exclaimed. "Stay alert, or the ship is finished!"

"WHAT?!" Chopper cried.

"Hang on!" Usopp shouted as he grabbed onto the yard. "Don't get shaken off, no matter what!"

"Franky, try and stay in the middle of the current!" Nami ordered.

"I can't!" Franky called. "It's going way SUPER fast!"

Before the Straw Hats knew it, they had been sucked down deeper into the sea by the Downward Plume.

XXX

"Ugh…my head."

"Usopp, are you okay?"

"Chopper? That you? Where are you? I can hear you but I can't see you!"

"Right in front of you, Usopp. Just open your eyes."

Usopp opened his eyes and saw Chopper standing in front of him.

"Are you okay, Usopp?" Nami asked.

"Aside from this big bump on my head, I'm fine," Usopp answered, sarcastically.

"Looks like we all made it," Nami said. "Well…almost all of us."

"Hey, what's going on?" Usopp asked. "Why's everybody so quiet?" He started to shiver. "And why the hell is it so cold?!"

"We can't find Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, or Blizzard," Robin answered. "It looks like they got separated from us."

"What?!" Usopp questioned.

"I just hope that a sea monster hasn't eaten them yet," Robin commented.

"WILL YOU STOP WITH THE MORBID COMMENTS, ALREADY?!" Usopp shouted.

Chopper walked up to Nami, who seemed rather uneasy.

"Nami?" the reindeer asked. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"I'll be fine, Chopper," Nami said. "I mean…I know it's been two years since I last saw Luffy, but…come on. We all know that those guys can be killed so easily. We'll find them again before we even know it."

"…I miss Blizzard, again, already," Chopper said.

Nami sighed before she held the reindeer's hoof.

_I wanna say that I miss Luffy, too,_ she thought. _But…I still can't help but feel confused about him…and that woman._

The Straw Hats looked outside the bubble, but couldn't see anything.

"It's pitch black, out there," Usopp said. "We couldn't find those guys if we tried!"

"I don't think I like the darkness," Brook commented. "Don't you feel like we're being watched? Like something is lurking around out there?"

**Gulp!** Usopp gulped.

"Why must you always make me feel so nervous, Brook?" he asked. "It's bad enough that Robin does it!"

"My apologies," Brook said.

"We must be at least 20,000 ft. below," Franky explained. "Pressure this great would crush even the _Shark Submerge_ to pieces!"

"Hey!" Chopper said. "Is Fishman Island nearby? Maybe Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Blizzard are already there!"

"Camie said that it's 32,000 ft. under the sea," Robin replied.

"You mean we still have over 10,000 more to go?!" Chopper questioned.

"Ah, man!" Usopp shouted.

"Don't sweat it," Franky said, lifting his sunglasses. "Maybe I can find them. I have a new light feature on me!"

"Ooh!" Chopper chirped. "Are you gonna make your eyes glow?!"

"Franky…NIPPLE LIGHTS!"

**FWASH!** Franky's nipples began to glow brightly.

"WHY THE HELL DO YOU HAVE LIGHTS DOWN THERE?!" Usopp snapped.

However, upon looking outside, the Straw Hats soon found that they are surrounded by giant sea monsters that have been lurking in the darkness, causing Nami, Usopp, Chopper, and Brook to scream in horror.

The Deep Sea, a world untouched by light, is the abode of many unearthly creatures. This is what they call "The Undersea Hell".

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

I've been trying to upload this, all week, but school was a killer. Sorry I took so long with the updates, everybody!


	4. Deep Sea Adventure

**Ch. 4- Deep Sea Adventure**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard © Me

* * *

The Straw Hats sailed through the Deep Sea, trying to find the missing Monster Quartet with the _Sunny's_ headlights.

"Luffy! Zoro! Sanji! Blizzard!" Usopp called, now wearing a coat and looking through a spyglass. "Where are you?!"

"Where did they go~?!" Chopper wailed. "Come back, you guys~!"

"The seafloor is too vast," said Franky. "Not even _Sunny's_ headlights are bright enough to penetrate the darkness."

"I say, this is quite troublesome," said Brook. "I get nervous in the dark."

"The darkness seems to go on, forever," said Usopp. "What do we do, now?"

"Well, we can't stop the ship," Nami said. "The best thing we can do is keep our eyes peeled."

The Straw Hats sailed so far, they ended up in the middle of a school giant jellyfish. One of them ended up swimming right above the ship.

"Ah!" Chopper yelped. "Look! A jellyfish! It's right above us, and it's huge!"

"Indeed it is!" Brook said. "Not to mention shiny! It's almost like looking at a starry night sky!"

One of the jellyfish's tentacles penetrated through the bubbles, reaching for Chopper.

"Hey, look!" Chopper said. "It's reaching for me! Maybe it's friendly."

"Chopper, wait!" Robin cried. "Don't touch it! It could sting you and it might be poisonous!"

"HUH?!" Chopper cried.

"Not good!" Franky shouted. "Mini Coup de BURST!"

**FWOOM!** In a short burst, the _Sunny_ managed to shoot away from the jellyfish, which was soon bitten by a giant fish.

"AAAAAAAAAAAH!" Usopp and Chopper screamed.

Brook looked up and saw that the bubble had sunk a bit since using the Mini Coup de Burst.

"Oh, my," said Brook. "It appears you were right, after all, Mister Franky. We have a bit less air, now."

"Beats being seafood," said Franky.

"THAT GIANT FISH ATE THE JELLYFISH!" Chopper cried.

**FLOP!** The fish went belly-up while the jellyfish swam away.

"IT'S DEAD!" Chopper cried.

"It must've been a neurotoxin," said Robin.

"AAAAAH!" Chopper screamed. "THE DEEP SEA IS SO SCARY! AND DARK!"

Usopp soon joined Chopper's side and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I-it's gonna be okay, Chopper," Usopp said. "I mean…look at them! Some of them look blind!"

"Hey, you're right!" Chopper said. "A lot of the fish have white eyes! It kinda makes them look scarier, though."

"The Deep Sea is a world of pitch black darkness, Young Chopper," Brook said, sipping some tea. "Eyesight has devolved in some species."

"So that means that they really can't see us!" Chopper said.

"What's that?" Brook asked. "You say that you want to know how I can see, even though I have no eyes?"

"Nah-nah!" Usopp sang, teasingly as he blew a raspberry at the supposedly blind fish. "You can't see us!"

"That doesn't mean that all of them are blind," Robin said. "Some of the creatures here have advanced eyes."

**GRRAAAAAWWRR!** A giant electric eel roared at Usopp and Chopper, who screamed and ran to hide behind Brook.

"The truth is…it's a secret! YOHOHOHOHO!"

"What are you mumbling to yourself about, Bones?" Franky asked.

"It's quite all right," said Brook. "I'm used to solitude, you know."

"We weren't talking about that!" Usopp said.

"I still can't see the others, though," Chopper said. "HEY~! LUFFY! ZORO! SANJI! BLIZZARD! WHERE ARE YOU GUYS?!"

Just then, Brook picked up something. It's the rope that Franky used to tie up Caribou…but Caribou was nowhere to be seen.

"Hmm…how odd," Brook said. "Err, pardon me, friends, but has anyone seen that pirate fellow?"

"Huh?" the Straw Hats muttered.

"Oh, yeah," Franky said. "I forgot about that guy."

"Where did he go?" Chopper asked.

"I haven't seen him since we got down here in the Deep Sea," said Robin. "Maybe he ended up getting thrown off the ship when we got pulled into the Downward Plume."

Unbeknownst to the Straw Hats, there is a strange, mud-like substance leaking out of a nearby barrel.

"That is possible," said Franky. "We did tie down his hands and feet, so he couldn't be able to grab onto anything."

"I find that a bit unlikely," Brook said. "As you can clearly see, he somehow managed to get out of these ropes without cutting them!"

"Then that means he could still be aboard!" Chopper cried.

"That also means he could be hiding in one of our rooms!" Nami added. "The women's quarters, in particular! EW~!"

"Oh, no!" Chopper cried. "He could be in the sick bay! He might steal all the medicine!"

Inside the barrel, it is revealed that Caribou is hiding inside.

"KIHIHIHIHI…" he laughed, silently. "I might just sneak into the woman's quarters, like Cat Burglar suggested!"

"Crap!" Usopp cursed. "This means we let down our guard for even a second!"

"Ah, who cares?" Franky questioned. "He's not so tough."

"KIHIHIHIHI…" Caribou laughed, silently, again. "This is perfect. Now those three strong fools, as well as that mutt, are gone for good!"

Franky came down from the helm and noticed the opened barrel.

"Getting sucked into Deep Sea in such a little bubble certainly means death," Caribou whispered. "Too bad I couldn't kill Straw Hat, thought, but I can still take the heads of the rest of the Straw Hats to prove that he's dead! KIHIHIHIH! Oh, but wait! Let's not be hasty here, Caribou. You shouldn't rush such things, you know. If you kill off these fools here and now, then who's going to sail the ship? They've got a pretty good navigator. I know! The moment they arrive at Fishman Island, it'll be perfect opportunity! I'll kill the rest of the men, and then, maybe I'll spare Cat Burglar and Demon Child…and I'll show them a real man. KIHIHIHIIHI!"

Suddenly, **KLANK!** Franky shut the lid of the barrel tight, and even hammered the lid down and tied the barrel up. Caribou is now trapped inside barrel with no way out.

"HEY!" Caribou shouted. "LET ME OUT OF THIS THING! LET MET OUT!"

"Found him," Franky said. "We don't have to worry about him, now."

"My word!" Brook exclaimed. "How did he managed to get inside that barrel?"

"We should've been more alert," said Franky. "If he wasn't such a dumb-ass, we might've been in real trouble. Looks like he ate a Devil Fruit that makes his body turn into mud or something, so that makes him a Logia Type. He only let Luffy punch him like that and let himself get caught on purpose."

"HEY!" Caribou cried from inside the barrel. "COME ON! LET ME OUT OF THIS THING! HEY, YOU! OLD MAN! IN THE SPEEDO! I'LL BE YOUR SLAVE, FOREVER! PLEASE LET ME OUT!"

"Dream on!" Franky called before he looked down to see Chopper, slumped on the deck. "Hey, what's up with you, Chopper?"

"I dunno," Chopper replied, tongue hanging out of his mouth. "All of a sudden…it got really hot. I can't stand hot places."

"I can't see anything up ahead!" Usopp exclaimed, pulling off his coat. "And it's so freaking stifling in here!"

"You're right," Nami said as she began to strip off her coat, too.

Outside, the Straw Hats spotted what looked like plumes of smoke, billowing through the water.

"Is that…smoke?" Usopp asked.

"Why is there smoke coming out of the seafloor?" questioned Brook.

"Wait," said Nami. "This can only mean one thing. We're sailing right towards some hydrothermal vents! A region full of undersea volcanoes!"

"VOLCANOES?!" shouted Brook, Usopp, Chopper, and Franky.

It is revealed that Nami is right. All around them, there are many volcanoes, billowing smoke like chimneys.

"They all look like they're pretty active!" Usopp exclaimed.

"If those volcanoes erupt, our goose is cooked!" Franky shouted. "Let's get outta here, and quick!"

"It's so hot…" Chopper complained.

**SWUP!** Some strange grass-like creatures with teeth began to wriggle their way up to the _Sunny_.

"DAAAAH!" screamed Usopp. "There's something coming after us!"

"Those are carnivorous tube worms!" cried Nami. "Franky, quick! We have to lose them!"

"What do you think that I'm trying to do?!" Franky asked as he steered the ship away from the tubeworms, which he managed to lose, but then, something else came after them.

"OH, NO!" Usopp cried. "CRABS WITHOUT EYES!"

The Straw Hats eventually managed to lose them, too, but once again, they got chased by something else: giant blobfish.

"WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE!" Usopp cried.

The Straw Hats kept getting chased by giant sea creatures, one after the other, and needless to say, they were starting to get very tired of it.

"There's no way that Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Blizzard could survive down here," wept Chopper. "It can't be…I waited two years to see everyone again, and now, four of my friends are probably dead!"

"HOW COULD YOU EVEN SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!" Usopp questioned. "YOU OF ALL PEOPLE KNOW BETTER THAN TO DOUBT THEM SO EASILY!"

Chopper looked at Usopp and sniffled, his tears threatening to fall at full force. Usopp, realizing his mistake, just sighed and put a hand on his head.

"Look, Chopper," he said. "I didn't mean to snap, okay? It's just…everything's been so crazy since we set sail and…I guess it's getting to me. But still, you should never doubt Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, or Blizzard. We know those guys. They're fighters. They always manage pull through, somehow."

"…yeah," Chopper said.

Usopp smiled at the little reindeer before he pulled him into a hug, making him smile.

Meanwhile, Franky looked up at the bubble, which had gotten a lot smaller since he kept using Mini Coup de Bursts to escape from the sea monsters.

"Damn," he cursed. "If I keep using the Mini Coup de Burst like this, we'll be all out of air before we even know it!"

**FWASH!** Chopper spotted a small but bright light up ahead.

"Hey! I can see a light, and it's really bright!" he exclaimed. "Maybe it's Fishman Island! Luffy and the others could already be there!"

**FWASH! FWASH!** Franky began to flash his Nipple Lights in Morse code.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"WHY ARE YOU USING THOSE TO SEND A MESSAGE?!" Usopp questioned.

The Straw Hats sailed the _Sunny_ further toward the light, which got bigger and brighter.

"Do you see anything?" Usopp asked.

"I can't tell," Nami replied, squinting her eyes. "It's too bright."

It is soon revealed that the light was not Fishman Island, but the lure of a humungous anglerfish!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" screamed the Cowardly Quartet.

"HOLY CRAP!" Franky cursed.

"IT'S A GIANT ANGLERFISH!" cried Usopp. "WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!"

"WE'VE BEEN TRICKED BY A PREDATOR OF THE DEEP SEA! YOHOHOHOHO~!" Brook screamed in terror.

"Mini COUP DE BURST!"

**FWOOM! CHOMP!** In another short burst of air, the _Sunny_ managed to escape the jaws of the monstrous anglerfish, but at the cost of their bubble getting flatter.

"Man, that was too SUPER close!" Franky cried.

"Yeah!" Usopp agreed. "We were totally caught in that thing's trap! You think we can get away from it?!"

Suddenly, Franky looked out the bubble and spotted something.

"What the…?!" he muttered.

The Straw Hats followed the shipwright's gaze and saw what appeared to be a hairy giant with a rounded head with facial hair, child-like eyes, and a large, wide mouth with rounded teeth that are quite distant from each other. He is wearing loose-fitting pants with a dark indument tied around his waist, and he is barefooted.

"…koro…" the giant muttered.

"WHAT~?!" the Straw Hats screamed.

"YOHOHO!" Brook cried.

"NOW WHAT?!" Franky questioned in shock.

"A MAN?!" Nami asked.

"IT'S A SEA MONSTER IN THE SHAPE OF A GIANT!" cried Usopp.

Robin just stood in silence, while Chopper sobbed in fright.

"IT'S A SEA SPIRIT~!" Usopp screamed.

The supposed sea spirit reeled back his fist.

"Oh, no!" Nami cried. "He's gonna hit us! He'll capsize the ship!"

"Dammit!" Nami cursed.

Suddenly, **BAP!** The sea spirit…punched the giant anglerfish in the head.

"Ankoro!" he shouted in a surprisingly child-like voice. "Bad fish!"

"He's hitting the fish?!" Usopp questioned.

The anglerfish turned to the sea spirit, rubbing the bump on its head.

"I said 'no'!" the sea spirit shouted. "Don't eat any ships! How many times do I have to tell you?! Captain Vander Decken will get mad at us!"

"D…did it just save us?" Nami asked.

"Who cares?!" Usopp asked. "Let's just get outta here, while we can! They're both monsters!"

All of a sudden, an eerie song began to fill the air.

"**Dead men tell no tales~**

**Dead men have no desires~"**

"Hmm?" Brook hummed, inquisitively. "What's that?"

"**In this blackened nation, where not even a crow flies~"**

**KREEEEEK!** Just then, a disheveled, dilapidated ship appeared behind the sea spirit. It had a skull-and-swords figurehead at the bow, and had the words "Flying Dutchman" on its main sail. The ship is being pushed by a row of oars…and on board, the singing still continued.

"**Dead men's fingers have no need for jewels~**

**The darkness hides even their regrets~,**

**Find it! Find it!**

**The sunken is mine for the taking~,**

**I'm the richest man in the world~!**

**Captain Vander Decken~!"**

"Aye-aye captain!" shouted the crew aboard the ship.

Usopp, Chopper, and Nami gasped.

"N…NO WAY!" Usopp cried.

"There's one here in the Deep Sea, too?!" Nami questioned.

"SCARY~!" Chopper screamed.

"A GHOST SHIP~!" Brook yelled.

"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU SCARED?!" questioned Usopp.

"B-Because," Brook began, "that one…is REAL! Look at the sail! It's the infamous _Flying Dutchman_!"

"The _Flying Dutchman_?!" Chopper repeated. "What's that?!"

"A ship that does not belong in the realm of the living," Brook explained, ominously. "It's centuries old! One stormy night, a pirate captain suddenly went mad and threw all of his men overboard! He drowned them every last one of them and cursed at the gods! His name was…Captain Vander Decken, and his ship was the _Flying Dutchman_! To punish him, the gods decreed that he should roam the seas for all eternity! The ship we see before us is Vander Decken's cursed vessel!"

"WHAT~?!" cried Nami, Usopp, Chopper, and Franky.

"Ankoro! Wadatsumi!" shouted a voice from the ship. "If you eat that ship, then we can't collect its treasure. Smash it to smithereens!"

"Yes, captain!" cried the sea spirit, known as Wadatsumi, as he reeled back a fist.

"Oh, no!" Usopp cried. "The sea spirit! He's on their side!"

"Franky, quick!" Nami ordered. "Use the Coup de Burst!"

"I can't!" Franky replied. "We're out of juice!"

"WHAT?!" Nami questioned.

Just when Wadatsumi is about shatter the _Sunny_ into pieces, **WHABAM!** The giant had been punched by, surprisingly, the Kraken!

"THE KRAKEN?!" the Straw Hats cried.

"The monster of the North Pole?!" muttered Vander Decken.

**WHAM! BAM! WHAK! WHAK! THWAK!** The Kraken continued to pummel Wadatsumi, using its tentacles like fists.

"STOP! THAT'S ENOUGH!"

The Kraken stopped beating on Wadatsumi and turned to face the owner of the voice with a sheepish smile.

"Good octopus!"

Nami gasped and smiled.

"That voice! It's…"

"Luffy!" Usopp cried, joyfully. "Zoro! Sanji! Blizzard!"

"YOU'RE OKAY~!" Chopper sobbed, tearfully.

In the water, is revealed that it is indeed the Monster Quartet. However, the Straw Hats noticed that Luffy is now sitting with Blizzard in his bubble while Sanji had been crammed into Zoro's bubble.

"Hey, guys~!" Luffy called, waving his hand.

"Nami~! Robin~!" Sanji called.

"We were looking everywhere for you guys!" Luffy said.

Zoro just heaved a sigh.

"What a bunch of clowns, getting themselves lost like that," he grumbled.

_Look who's talking, you prude,_ Blizzard thought, irritably.

"Hey! Wadatsumi!" cried one of the men on the _Flying Dutchman_. "Get up, you fool! You gotta fight back!"

It was no use. Wadatsumi is out cold.

The Kraken gently took the _Thousand Sunny_ in its tentacles and placed her on its head.

"What happened to you two?" asked Robin.

"Well, Sanji's bubble and mine burst," Luffy answered. "So, I had to get into Blizzard's bubble, while Sanji got into Zoro's."

"Don't remind me," said Zoro. "I'll be washing the stink of idiot off my back for at least a week!"

"Hey!" Sanji snapped. "That wasn't exactly my first choice, either, moss-head, but Blizzard wouldn't let me in!"

"HAHAHA!" Luffy laughed. "I thought we were gonna die!"

"WILL YOU STOP SAYING MORBID STUFF LIKE THAT?!" Usopp questioned. "IT AIN'T FUNNY!"

"_He's right, Luffy,"_ Blizzard said, telepathically. _"You have no business worrying us like that!"_

"Okay!" Luffy said. "Sorry."

As the Monster Quarter entered the ship through the bubble, Nami immediately embraced Luffy, who returned it.

"It's good to see you, too, Nami," said Luffy.

"You had me worried sick about you," said Nami. "Don't ever do that again!"

**BONK!** She struck Luffy in the head, leaving a large bump behind.

"OUCH!" Luffy cried. "Dammit to hell, Nami! When are you gonna stop hitting me so much?!"

"When you start to smarten up!" Nami cried. "Which is NEVER!"

"WAAAAAAAAH!" Chopper sobbed as he hugged Blizzard's muzzle. "BLIZZARD~! I'M SO HAPPY YOU'RE BACK~!"

"_I wasn't gone that long, little buddy,"_ Blizzard said in his own language. _"But…yeah, I'm happy to see you, too, Chopper. Sorry I had you worried."_

Chopper nodded as Blizzard put his paw around the little reindeer in a hug.

"Are you all right, Zoro?" asked Robin.

"Huh?" Zoro muttered as he looked to the historian. "Oh! Uh…yeah. I'm just fine."

Sanji couldn't help but notice that Zoro seemed to be blushing while scratching his hair, and almost instantly, he sneered at the swordsman.

_That son of a bitch,_ he thought.

"Looks like nothing can kill you guys!" Franky commented, referring to the Monster Quartet.

"So, you really managed to tame that giant octopus?" Nami asked.

"Oh, yeah!" Luffy answered. "We're taking the advanced route! Isn't that right, Surume?"

The Kraken, or rather, "Surume" nodded.

"You do realize that that means 'dried squid snacks', right?" Usopp asked.

"What?" Luffy asked.

"Never mind," Usopp muttered.

The Kraken started to carry the Straw Hats' ship through the volcanic region.

"He's pulling our ship along," Usopp started, "but we have to be careful we don't get crushed around here."

**RRRMMMMMMMMB~!** A rumbling sound is heard.

"Uh…Luffy?" Usopp asked. "Was that your stomach, again?"

"Not this time," Luffy answered.

"I was hoping you wouldn't say that," Usopp said, pathetically.

**RRRMMMMMMMMMMBB!** The rumbling is heard again, and the sea floor began to shake.

"W-w-what's happening?!" Chopper asked, frighteningly holding onto Blizzard's legs.

"Captain Vander Decken!" cried the crew of the _Flying Dutchman_. "This is bad!"

"Oh, no," Nami muttered. "Guys! We gotta get outta here, right now!"

"Why?" Luffy asked.

"Because," Nami began, "the undersea volcano…is about to erupt!"

"WHAT~?!" the Straw Hats cried.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Review, please! And please be nice.


	5. 30,000 Feet Under the Sea

**Ch. 5- 30,000 Feet Under the Sea**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard © Me

* * *

**RMMMMMMMMMMMBB!** The seafloor continued to rumble as the volcano began nearing eruption.

"Quick, men!" shouted Vander Decken to his men. "Retreat!"

"Aye-aye, Captain Vander Decken!"

"Ankoro! Wadatsumi! Pull the ship at once!"

"Yes, sir!" cried a now conscious Wadatsumi.

"Oh, no!" cried Nami. "This is bad! It's gonna blow it's top, any second! Luffy, quick! Tell Surume to get us outta here!"

"You got it, Nami!" Luffy answered. "Yo! Surume! Nami wants you to-"

"Wait, Luffy!" Usopp shouted. "You don't have to tell him!"

"Huh? Why not?" Luffy asked.

"Because," Usopp began, "Surume's already running away!"

Usopp was right. Surume is indeed running away, a look of desperation and fear on his face. Running alongside him is Wadatsumi, pulling the _Flying Dutchman_ along with him.

"Looks like Surume's got the right idea!" said Nami.

"What an awkward way of running," Robin mused.

"Don't say that!" Usopp shouted. "It just shows how afraid he is of the eruption!"

"I wanna see the volcano erupt!" Luffy exclaimed, looking outside the bubble.

"Everyone, evacuate to the forecastle!" Usopp cried as he and Chopper ran.

"That won't do us any good!" Nami shouted.

**RMMMMMMMMMMBB!** The tremors on the seafloor became even more severe.

"This is it!" Nami cried. "Here it comes!"

"Oh, boy!" Luffy cheered.

"Hang on to something, you guys!" Franky called.

**WHAP!** Nami grabbed onto Luffy, who wrapped one arm around her while he grabbed the rail with his other hand. Chopper did the same with Blizzard, grabbing onto his tail.

"He said hang onto some_thing_, not some_one_!" Usopp corrected, holding onto the mast.

"Oh, blow it out your ear!" Nami spat.

Luffy just laughed.

**RMMMMMMMMMMMMBB! KABOOOOOM!** The volcano erupted, causing magma to come shooting out from the seafloor, and the force blew almost everyone away.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" the Straw Hats screamed. Well, almost all of them.

"YAAAAHOOOOOOOO!" Luffy cheered.

Nami looked outside and saw the magma beginning to seep out onto the seafloor.

"Is it me, or is it getting too hot, now?" Chopper asked as he began to pant, along with Blizzard, who is also feeing the heat.

"It's the magma!" Nami exclaimed. "It's heating up the water!"

"WHOOOAAAAAAAAA!"

The Straw Hats looked up and saw Wadatsumi, Ankoro, and the _Flying Dutchman_ being sent flying away by the force of the volcano's current.

**GLUP! GLUP! GLUP! FSSSSSSSS~!** The magma continued to flow outward and the smoke billowed.

"Surume, pick up the pace!" cried Nami. "The difference in temperature is creating a vortex! Hurry!"

"Nami!" Sanji cried. "Which way to Fishman Island?!"

**PLURT!** He had yet another nosebleed.

"YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT SUCH PERVERTED THINGS AT A TIME LIKE THIS?!" Chopper questioned.

"It's just straight ahead!" Nami answered, looking at the needle of the Log Pose. "We're almost there! Just head for that open trench!"

Up ahead, there is a huge trench that is so dark, it appeared to be bottomless.

"DAAAAAAAH!" Usopp screamed. "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND, WOMAN?! IT'S PITCH BLACK DOWN THERE! ARE YOU SURE THAT'S THE WAY TO FISHMAN ISLAND?!"

**RRRMMMMMMMMMMBB!** Another volcano began to shake.

"NOT ANOTHER ONE!" Chopper cried.

"It's totally black up ahead!" Usopp exclaimed. "There's no way we're going down there! There's bound to be monsters! We'll never get out, alive!"

"Ready, everybody?" Luffy asked his crew.

"No, Luffy, wait!" called Usopp. "Don't do it! That darkness goes to straight to the very pits of He-"

"JUMP DOWN, SURUME~!" Luffy ordered.

Surume nodded in understanding before, **WHUP! BOOOOOOOM!** He jumped down, just as the volcano erupted.

"Phew!" Chopper sighed. "We're safe…right?"

"WRONG!" Usopp cried. "LOOK!"

"What's that up there?!" asked Franky, lifting up his sunglasses.

**RRMMMMMMMB!** Boulders are tumbling down behind Surume.

"It's a landslide!" cried Robin.

"The eruptions must've caused the trench walls to collapse!" Nami exclaimed.

"Quick, Surume! Dodge them!" Luffy ordered.

"I got a better idea!" Zoro shouted. "I'll go out and cut every last one of them! Luffy! Hold on to me!"

"You got it!" Luffy said as he grabbed onto Zoro.

"Zoro, don't!"

**SWUP!** Ten arms sprouted out of the railing (and Luffy) and grabbed at Zoro's robe.

"What are you doing?!" Zoro asked Robin. "Lemme go!"

"Zoro, you can't go out there!" Robin shouted. "We're 25,000 ft below water! The pressure will kill you the moment you go out there!"

"Then what am I supposed to do?!" asked Zoro.

"Special Attack! Green Star…SARGASSO!"

**SNAP! FWOOF!** Usopp fired a Pop Green at the boulders, and it exploded to reveal a giant net of seaweed which caught the boulders.

"Whoa!" Chopper cried in amazement. "Usopp, that's so awesome!"

"Why, thank you, my dear Chopper," Usopp said with a proud grin.

"Good thinking, Usopp!" Nami praised. "You managed to stop the boulders, for now!"

"Now's your chance, Surume!" Luffy called. "Get outta the way while you can!"

Surume nodded and swiftly swam out of the way of the boulders, just as the seaweed began to give way. **SNAP! RRMMMMMMMMBB!** The seaweed snapped off, and the landslide continued.

"That was close!" Brook commented.

Luffy laughed as he gave Usopp a hearty slap on the back.

"Way to go, Usopp!" he said.

"Yeah!" Chopper agreed. "You totally saved our bacon!"

"Bacon?" Luffy repeated, starting to drool. "Where? What bacon?!"

"Figure of speech, Luffy," Nami corrected.

"Awwwww!" Luffy moaned.

"Good job, Usopp," Zoro praised, smiling.

**RUFF!** Blizzard barked.

_I gotta admit,_ the wolf-dog thought. _Even I'm impressed!_

While everyone was cheering, they didn't even notice that one boulder is falling right toward Surume until **WHAM!** It fell right on top of his head!

"Oh, no!" Usopp cried.

"AAAAAH!" Nami screamed.

Surume began to lose consciousness. He started teetering back and forth, until he fell down into the darkness of the trench, taking the screaming Straw Hats with him.

XXX

The seafloor, 30,000 ft below sea level in an ocean trench. Surume had come to land down here, and on his back, the _Thousand Sunny_ rested there, as well, completely unharmed, and the crew aboard have found themselves surrounded by a bright light.

"We…we made it?" Usopp asked. "We're alive?"

"Why is it so bright down here?" asked Robin.

_At first, I thought that it was a portal to the afterlife,_ thought Blizzard. _Wait…just to make sure…_

**CHOMP! YIPE!** Blizzard bit down on his tail, causing himself to yowl in pain.

_Nope! I'm alive!_ he thought.

"That light is so blinding," Brook commented. "Even though I don't even have eyes! YOHOHOHOHOHO!"

"Hey, everybody!" Franky called. "Look over there, off starboard!"

Everyone began to gather at the starboard bow.

"It's too bright," said Usopp, squinting his eyes. "I can't make out what it is."

"Hey, Nami!" Luffy called. "Is that it?!"

Nami looked at the Log Pose's needle and grinned.

"Yep!" she answered Luffy. "There's no doubt about it! The needle's pointing dead ahead, so that means…it's Fishman Island!"

Outside, it is revealed that there is a huge island, surrounded by a humungous bubble. At last, the Straw Hats have reached their long-awaited destination: Fishman Island.

"It's surrounded by a giant bubble," Robin commented. "Perhaps there's air inside."

"IT'S HUUUUUUUGE!" Luffy cried.

_I…it…it's so breathtaking,_ Blizzard thought. _I can't even begin to describe it in words._

Surume awoke and straightened the _Sunny_ up so the Straw Hats could get a better look.

"WHOO-HOOOOOO!" Luffy cheered. "WE MADE IT~!"

"What?!" asked Caribou, who is still trapped in the barrel. "We're here?! KIHIHIHIHI!"

"Uh, guys?" asked Zoro. "What's in here?"

"Oh, it's just that Caribou freak," Usopp said. "Don't worry about it."

"Ah," said Zoro, although with a bit of a disappointment. "I was kinda hoping there'd be sake in here."

"We've finally reached one of the most celebrated locations of the Grand Line!" Franky shouted.

"The island of dancing mermaids~!" Sanji swooned. "The home of the beautiful maidens of the sea! At long last, we've made it! This is the paradise I've dreamed about in my boyhood!"

"Mermaids~! Mermaids~!" Sanji and Brook cheered together, dancing arm-in-arm.

**PLURT!** Sanji had yet another nosebleed, only this one seemed worse than the previous two that he had. However, this one wasn't big enough to send him rocketing out of the bubble, again. Still, it did give Usopp and Chopper cause for concern.

"SANJI!" they cried.

"This is not good!" Usopp exclaimed. "All he's doing is thinking about the mermaids!"

**THUD!** Sanji fell to the deck, motionless.

"No! Sanji!" Chopper cried.

"Sanji, hang in there!" Usopp begged. "Please, you gotta hang on, just a bit longer!"

"Sanji, I'm so sorry," Chopper wept. "Your rehabilitation didn't work. I don't' think it's a good idea for you to even think about mermaids for a while. Maybe…maybe never!"

"How can you say that?!" Usopp questioned. "Meeting the mermaids of Fishman Island was his life's dream!"

"IT'S NOT WORTH DYING OVER!" Chopper snapped.

"I don't care!"

Usopp and Chopper gasped and looked to Sanji.

"S…Sanji," Usopp muttered.

"I don't care," Sanji repeated. "I would much rather bleed to death whilst I stare at those gorgeous mermaids than live on with my dream unfulfilled in disgrace."

"PERVERT!" shouted Usopp and Chopper.

_And yet so noble,_ Blizzard thought. _Perverted and idiotic, yes, but noble._

"Whatever it takes," Sanji started, "I WILL SEE THOSE MERMAIDS!"

**FWOOSH!** A comical fire of confidence raged around Sanji.

**GRRUUUMMMMBLE!** Luffy's stomach roared, and a waterfall of drool cascaded from his lips and tongue.

"I wonder what kind of food they have here," said Luffy. "I bet the meat tastes really good."

"Yes, yes, Luffy," Nami said, tapping her captain's shoulder, "but let's not worry about that, right now. Wipe that drool off your face and ask Surume to help us find the entrance."

"Hey, guys!" Franky called. "Look! Up there!"

The others soon looked outside to where Franky was pointing, and Surume seemed to be frozen with fear.

"How can you take orders from the likes of humans, Kraken?"

Surume seemed to gasp in horror before he tossed the _Sunny_ away and quickly scurried off.

"WHOA!" the Straw Hats cried.

"Surume, come back!" Luffy called. "Where are you going?! We only had a bit farther to go!"

"Who are those guys?!" Zoro asked.

"AAAAAAAAAHH!" Chopper screamed before he hid behind Blizzard, who growled viciously.

Outside, the Straw Hats are surrounded by a pack of sea monsters: a Sea Elephant, a Sea Giraffe, a Sea Gorilla, a Sea Rhino, a Sea Polar Bear, and a Sea Lion, and not like the one related to seals. An ACTUAL Sea Lion.

"It's a pack of sea beasts?!" Sanji questioned.

"AAAAAAAAH!" the Cowardly Quarter screamed. "WE'RE DOOMED! THEY'RE GONNA KILL US~!"

"Pirates are the enemies of humans, too," said an unfamiliar voice. "That's why I'll give you two choices."

"Whoa, cool!" Luffy said. "Those sea beasts are awesome! Is somebody riding them?"

"So," said the mysterious figure, "you're the famous Straw Hat Pirates. I know of you all very well. You crushed the ambitions of the Arlong Pirates. If that were all you'd done, then this would be a whole lot easier, but 2 years ago, you defended Hachi, one of Arlong's former officers, and you also beat up those damned detestable Celestial Dragons!"

The mysterious figure….actually, make that _figures_, are revealed to be a trio of Fishmen. Actually, two Fishmen and a merman.

The first Fishman is a slim-looking, bright yellow-skinned Fishman of medium-length with puffy orange hair and a long, squarish neck with a small beard. His facial features appear to be quite sinister: they include a long and sharp beak-like mouth, razor sharp teeth, and constantly glaring eyes. On his neck, he has a familiar tattoo…one that Nami once wore, long ago. He also has a different tattoo on his stomach which consisted of a sun which had a slash in it, as well as a decapitated human.

His attire consists of a long-sleeved black coat with a striped undershirt, both of which are kept open to display his tattoos. The shins of his white pants are frayed and he wears a mint green sash around his waist, as well as black sandals on his feet.

His name is Hammond, a Pike Conger Fishman and a fighter for the New Fishman Pirates.

The second Fishman is a stocky, beige-colored Fishman with brown spots on his thick neck. He has pink trailing with yellow on the tips on his head and neck. He also wears a white tank top and a pair of vertically stripped pants. In his hands is a pike.

He is Kasagoba, a Scorpion Fish Fishman, and also a fighter for the New Fishman Pirates.

The merman is revealed to be an octopus merman wearing a black opened suit with a blue shirt and loose tie underneath. He has six octopus legs with blue eye-like motifs on them, and he also has human-like arms. His hair is shaggy and unkempt, and his mouth is like Hachi's. In his hand is a flask of sake.

He is Hyouzou, a Blue-Ringed Octopus merman and an assassin for the New Fishman Pirates.

"Your deeds are exactly like those of our beloved Fisher Tiger, the Hero of Fishman Island," said Hammond. "HAMOHAMOHAMOHAMO! What are we gonna do with you lot? So tell me, are you with us, or against us? Will you become our allies or do you refuse?! If you refuse, we'll have no choice but to sink your ship!"

Luffy glared at the trio of villains, but then, his anger turned into surprise when he felt a pair of his hands clutching at the back of his cardigan. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Nami, but he saw something in her eyes that made his blood boil, again.

Something had scared her.

"Nami," he said. "Just stay behind me, okay? I'll protect you."

Nami nodded.

"Okay, look!" Luffy shouted. "Just get outta here, okay?! You're scaring my navigator!"

"We'll leave as soon as we get our answer," said Hammond.

Nami pulled away from Luffy and ran over to Franky.

"Franky, quick!" she whispered. "You have refuel!"

"What are you trying to do?" asked Franky.

"You know that Luffy's going to listen to them," said Nami. "We're at a depth of 30,000 ft! We can't even so much as fight without getting killed by the water pressure, and that means that there's no way we can win! The only choice we have is run away! Use all the remaining air for one more Coup de Burst and shoot the ship into Fishman Island!"

"Are you serious?!" Frank asked.

"Would you rather die here?!" Nami asked.

"You're right, Nami," said Robin. "That might be our only chance of survival here."

"Franky!" Usopp called as he ran to the Energy Room. "You take the wheel! I'll do the refueling!"

"Got it!" Franky answered. "SUPER leave it to me!"

"Choose, Straw Hat!" Hammond barked. "Will you become our vassals or not?!"

XXX

Down below, Usopp has finished refueling.

"Franky!" he called. "It's ready to go!"

XXX

**SWOOOO…!** The aft cannon started to glow.

"Full power Coup de Burst," Franky said. "Ready to fire!"

"Well?!" Hammond asked. "What's your answer, Straw Hat?!"

Luffy grinned and looked up at Hammond.

"Hell no!" he shouted. "DUMB-ASS~!"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Review, please!


	6. The Undersea Paradise

**Ch. 6- The Undersea Paradise**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Moon, and Maxine the Mermaid © Me

* * *

Hammond, Hyouzou, and Kasagoba stared at the Straw Hats in shock and disbelief, while Luffy smirked up at them.

"You…you refuse?!" Hammond questioned. "You DARE refuse the off the New Fishman Pirates?! Then that makes you enemies of all Fishmen! You lot are nothing but wicked humans!"

"Dumb-ass~!" Luffy called, hooking his fingers into his mouth, stretched his cheeks, and sticking out his tongue. "Why the hell should we come and work for you, anyway?!"

"Luffy, stop it!" Chopper cried, tearfully. "You're just gonna make 'em madder!"

"Sorry, Straw Hat," said Hammond, "but I'm afraid I can't let you pass! Sea Lion! Get them!"

**GRRAAAAAAAAWWWR!** The Sea Lion roared, unaware that the _Thousand Sunny's_ aft cannon is glowing brightly, preparing to blast.

"Oh, you wanna fight, huh?!" Luffy questioned. "Well, bring it on!"

"_No, Luffy, don't!"_ Blizzard cried. _"You'll drown the moment you go out there!"_

"Then what am I supposed to do?!" Luffy asked.

"FRANKY!" Nami called. "NOW!"

"You got it!" Franky said. "_Sunny_ here is a lion, too, and a SUPER one, at that! We'll settle this later, Sea Lion!"

**KLIK!** Franky pulled the lever just as the Sea Lion prepared to bite down on the _Sunny_.

"Coup de…BURST!"

**FWOOM! CHOMP!** The _Sunny_ blasted through the water, just as the Sea Lion tried to bite down on her.

"What the?!" Hammond questioned in shock. "The ship!"

**SHLUP!** As the _Sunny_ went flying through the sea, the bubble began to deflate all the way, nearly squishing the Straw Hats.

"H-hey!" Luffy cried. "What's happening?!"

"We're running out of air!" Brook answered.

"Just hang tight until we get into Fishman Island!" Nami called.

"What is going on with their ship?!" asked Hammond.

"Hang on SUPER tight, guys!" Franky called. "We're going in!"

"Here I come, my darling mermaids~!" Sanji exclaimed.

**BLOOP! SHRIP!** The _Sunny_ entered the bubble, causing the coating on her to be ripped off.

"Hey! What happened?!" Luffy asked. "The coating's gone!"

"There are two layers of bubble!" Robin answered. "A normal ship would fall into the gap between them!"

"We're about to hit another one!" Franky shouted. "Everybody, hang on tight!"

**PLOOSH!** The bubble the Straw Hats ended up hitting turned out to be filled with water, much to the Straw Hats' shock.

"Oh, crap!" Zoro cursed before the whole ship became submerged. The crew struggled to hold in their breath, but it was all for naught.

_The current's too strong!_ Nami thought.

As the navigator opened her eyes, she saw Luffy, struggling against the sea water and reaching his hand out to grab hers, but then, **GLUB!** Luffy couldn't hold his breath any longer and opened his mouth, letting out large air bubbles.

_Luffy!_ Nami cried in thought before the current carried her away.

_Dammit!_ Sanji cursed mentally. _Four of us have Devil Fruit powers!_

While Blizzard managed to grab Luffy and Chopper, he was also unable to hold in his breath. **GLUB!** He opened his mouth to breath, but instead ended up swallowing a lot of water.

Zoro, meanwhile, reached out to a motionless Robin, but soon, he too ran out of air.

The Straw Hats all ended up drifting around in the water's current…and they all ended up going in different directions.

Then…everything went black.

XXX

Outside the bubble, the New Fishman Pirates looked on, seemingly unsurprised.

"They probably went through the barrier and drowned," mused Hammond.

"Shall we follow them, Hammond?" asked Kasagoba. "Into the island."

"They're probably dead," said Hyouzou with a hiccup.

"We should probably go and check, anyway," said Hammond. "I don't want the Neptune Army finding them before we do, but first, let's head back to _Noah_, and tell the boss…that Straw Hat Luffy, the one who crushed Arlong's ambitions…has arrived."

XXX

Fishman Island, the seafloor, inside someone's house…

"See? Look!"

"I looked!"

"I'm not looking!"

"I think you looked!"

"So what if I looked?!"

A pair of eyes, looking up to see five little mermaid girls, each with different colored hair, different colored tank tops, and different colored ten-gallon hats.

"See? He moved!"

"He did move!"

"He didn't move!"

"I think he moved!"

"So what if he moved?!"

**KOFF! BLOOGH!** Luffy coughed up a large amount of water, sending the five little mermaids screaming and swimming away.

"Ugh…" Luffy groaned as he held his head.

**SLURP! SLURP! SLURP!** Blizzard suddenly pinned Luffy to the bed and started to smother him in doggy kisses, making him laugh.

"Okay, Blizzard!" Luffy said. "Okay! Down, boy! Down!"

If one were to look closely, they could see that Blizzard is no longer wearing his red-and-white-striped scarf, but instead, he is wearing his signature silver skull-and-bones charm necklace. Blizzard never took it off during those two years, but now, it seemed to be straining to stay around the wolf-dog's now bulkier neck.

"Luffy!" Usopp cried. "You're awake!"

"He's alive!" Chopper cheered.

Luffy looked around and saw Chopper, Sanji, and Usopp, all of them wearing Criminal brand shirts, and upon getting a closer look at himself, so was he.

"Hey guys," Luffy greeted. "Where are we?"

"Luffy-chin!"

Luffy turned upon hearing that familiar voice.

"I'm so glad you're all okay. How do you feel? Better?"

"Camie?!" Luffy asked. "Whoa! It really is you! Long time, no see, huh?!"

Yes, it is Camie. The mermaid hadn't seemed to have changed in the past two years, although she did appear more feminine than she did before. Her tail has become longer and slimmer, her dorsal fin is now larger and curvier, and her hair has been parted to her right and has been dyed into a slight mint-y green. She also wears a black Criminal brand spaghetti strapped top with a jagged lower hem. Around her neck is a red-beaded necklace and she wears a flowery bracelet around her right wrist.

"It's good to see you guys, too," Camie said. "How've you been?"

"Oh, Camie~!" Sanji swooned. "You're even prettier than I remember~!"

_Oh, brother,_ Blizzard thought.

"Sorry, guys," said Camie. "I meant to pick you guys up, earlier, but I messed up on the date…by about a month."

"Wait…you mean…we're here?!" Luffy asked. "We're on Fishman Island?!"

"That's right, Luffy!" Chopper said. "The mermaids saved us after we almost drowned!"

"The four of us were unconscious until now!" said Usopp.

"Where are we, anyway?" Luffy asked.

"We're in Camie's house," Sanji answered. "Oh, and here's your hat."

**FWIP!** Sanji tossed Luffy's hat to him, and it landed right on his head.

"Thanks," Luffy said. "Hey, by the way, where's Nami? Last time I saw her, I was trying to save her from drowning, but then I just blacked out."

Everyone froze, and then glanced at each other.

"You tell him," Usopp whispered to Sanji.

"No way!" Sanji whispered. "You tell him, Chopper!"

"Uh-uh!" Chopper said. "Blizzard, you tell him! Besides, he can understand you now!"

Blizzard gulped, but then he sighed and turned to Luffy.

"_Luffy,"_ he said. _"Camie only managed to save me, you, Chopper, Usopp, and Sanji. As for Nami and the others…I guess we got separated."_

Luffy stared at Blizzard for a moment, but then…he grinned.

"Oh, well," he said. "I'm pretty sure they're okay!"

The boys seemed surprised at first, but then they rolled their eyes. Of course Luffy would brush this off as nothing.

"'Bones' is completely useless in the water," said Sanji, "but 'Robot' and 'Greenie' are with him, so they should be fine. I tried to see where they went, but only the five of us got sent to the bottom."

"I want to see the others, too!" Camie said, holding up a platter of five bowls. "You all must be chilled to the bone, so I made you some soup to warm you up!"

"Oh, great!" Luffy said. "My tummy's so empty, right now! What kind of soup is it?"

"It's cold kelp soup," Camie answered. "It's delicious!"

A pause.

"Uh…cold soup?" Chopper asked.

"AAAAAH!" Camie screamed. "WHAT AM I THINKING?! YOU CAN'T EAT COLD SOUP TO WARM YOU UP! OH, I MADE A TERRIBLE MISTAKE!"

"I'll say you have!" Usopp said.

Blizzard heaved an exasperated sigh.

_Yep,_ he thought. _Some things never change._

"Don't worry, Camie!" Sanji said. "It'll make me warm!"

"Hey, Sanji, don't hog it all!" Luffy exclaimed, tugging at the cook's arm. "Lemme have some, too! I'm hungry!"

Just then, the five little mermaids came "swimming" up to the five Straw Hats, holding a sack.

"Your clothes are all dry!"

"They're dry!"

"They're not dry, yet!"

"I think they're dry!"

"So what if they're dry!"

"Oh!" Luffy said as he took his cardigan from the sack. "You dried out our clothes for us? Thanks a lot! Who are you guys, anyway?"

"Oh, they're my friends," Camie answered. "They're the Guppy Mermaid Quintuplets!"

"Hi!" the five little mermaids said.

"I'm Ichika!" said the red-haired mermaid in the polka-dotted hat.

"I'm Nika!" said the blond mermaid in the striped hat.

"I'm Sanka!" said the orange-haired mermaid with the solid blue hat.

"I'm Yonka!" said the pink-haired mermaid with the white hat.

"I'm Yonka #2!" said the dark brown-haired mermaid with the leopard-printed hat.

"Shouldn't that be Goka?!" asked Usopp.

"These girls can swim really fast and are really smart," Camie explained. "Right now, we're at the Mermaid Inlet. This is a female dormitory for the Mermaid Café. A lot of my friends live here, too."

Sanji gasped as steam blew out of his nose and drool came cascading from his jaws.

"F-F-F-FEMALE DORMITORY?!" the cook repeated. "AND DID YOU SAY THE MERMAID CAFÉ?! WHAT'S THAT?!"

_Oh, god, not now,_ Blizzard thought.

"That's where I work as a waitress," said Camie. "A lot of pretty mermaids work there."

Sanji gasped and shuddered as he imagined a mermaid asking him if he wanted coffee or tea.

"Oh, no!" Chopper cried.

"Chopper, do something!" Usopp shouted. "Sanji's in big trouble!"

"GAAAH!" Sanji gasped as he stood up straight and tall.

"He managed to hold it in!" Chopper exclaimed in surprise.

Sanji then fell to his hands and knees, shuddering and quivering.

"I swore to myself," he began, "that I wouldn't waste any time getting a nosebleed and passing out! Shouldn't I be allowed to have something nice for once?!"

"Wow," said Usopp. "Such an earnest desire from one so perverted."

_I'll say,_ Blizzard thought.

"Come on! Let's go up!" Camie exclaimed. "I'll introduce you all to my friends!"

"Sure!" Luffy said. "Come on, guys! Let's go!"

XXX

Outside Camie's house, the group is standing in front of a turtle with a bubble on his shell.

"Excuse us, Turtle-chin," said Camie, "but do you mind taking us up please?"

**TWEEE~!** The turtle blew his whistle in reply.

"Cool!" Luffy said. "It's a sea turtle elevator! Sweet!"

As the turtle began to swim upward, the Straw Hats took a good look at their surroundings and saw that most of the houses appeared to made of one giant coral reef.

"These are the underwater coral apartments," said Camie. "My rent is cheap, but I live way down at the bottom. The rooms get a lot more light, so they're the most expensive."

"Wait," Usopp said. "So you mean you're poor? But your apartment looks so fancy on the inside!"

_Just go to show that looks can be deceiving,_ Blizzard thought.

"Hey, Camie!" Luffy said. "Where are Hachi and Pappug?"

"Hacchin got badly injured, last year," Camie replied.

"Oh, right!" Luffy said. "He was trying to protect _Sunny_, wasn't he?"

"I heard he's recovered, now," said Camie. "Hacchin comes from the Fishman District, so he's resting up there."

"The Fishman District?" Usopp questioned while Sanji continued to swoon over Camie and Luffy, Chopper, and Blizzard looked outside and marveled at the sight that lies before their eyes.

"That place is kind of a scary, actually," Camie said. If you guys stay with, I don't mind giving you a tour."

"Let's go down there, later!" Luffy said. "I wanna go see Hachi and tell him thanks!"

"All right, Luffy-chin," Camie said. "Oh! And about Pappug, he's a really famous _star_ designer and has a huge mansion in rich area called Gyoverly Hills. I'm going down there later so I can bring him his favorite: clams. You guys should come with me!"

"But I thought that Pappug was your pet," Luffy said. "Doesn't he live with you?"

"Well, that's not exactly his status," said Camie. "And besides, Pappug likes the clams around here because they taste better!"

"Uh, by the way, Camie?" Usopp called. "What are these tube thingies around here?"

"Oh, that's the Water Road," said Camie. "The bubble artisans on the island made them. The fish and us merfolk can go wherever we want, thanks to them. Here! Watch this!"

**SWISH!** Camie swam out of the bubble on the turtle's shell and into one of the Water Roads. **BLUP! BLUP! BLUP!** She ended up swimming right over the surface of the water, where the Straw Hats soon emerged, as well.

"We made it!" Luffy said before he and his friends exited from the turtle elevator and went ashore. There, they are soon met with a vast blue sky, just like the one in the outside world, and Camie still swimming in the Water Road.

"Whoa!" Luffy said. "Do you see that?!"

"You see?" Camie asked. "I can swim even through the sky!"

"That looks like fun!" Luffy cheered. "I wanna try it!"

"What's going on?!" Usopp asked. "The Deep Sea even has a sky and clouds?!"

Blizzard stared with mouth agape. Fishman Island looked even more beautiful on the inside than it did out in the Deep Sea! However, as much as the wolf-dog wanted to take in the scenery…he still couldn't help but think about something other than that.

_I wonder if she really does live here,_ he thought. _I mean…she was adopted by a Fishman when we were pups. I hope he's been taking good care of her._

"Hey, Camie~!"

Sanji gasped upon hearing female voices.

"Hey, everybody!" Camie called.

It is revealed that the Straw Hats have arrived at the Mermaid Inlet, where they are soon greeted by a large group of beautiful mermaids, either frolicking in the water or relaxing at the shore.

"How are your pirate friends, Camie?" asked one of the mermaids. "They almost drowned, right? Looks like they're okay."

"You people didn't come in through the entrance, did you?" asked another mermaid.

"Hello, there!" another mermaid greeted the Straw Hats. "You guys don't look so scary to me!"

"So they entered, illegally, huh?" asked one more mermaid. "That's so wild! I just love pirates~!"

"Wow!" Usopp said. "This is like a scene out of a fairy tale! An island of coral and a bay full of beautiful mermaids! If I'm dreaming, then don't wake me up!"

Sanji shuddered as he stared at the mermaid, and then…he burst into tears.

"Sanji?!" Chopper asked. "What's wrong?! Why are you crying?!"

"Jeez," Luffy said. "I haven't seen you cry this much since you left the Baratie."

"Hey, everybody!" Camie called as she swam into the Mermaid Inlet. "These are some of my pirate friends! This one is Luffy-chin! He's the captain!"

"Yo!" Luffy said.

"The one with the long nose is Usopp-chin."

"Nice to meet you, ladies!" Usopp greeted the mermaids.

"I think I like his nose," one of the mermaids tittered, causing Usopp to be flustered.

"Then there's Chopper-chin, the raccoon dog!"

"I'm a reindeer!" Chopper corrected. "But, yeah, nice to meet you all!"

"The big white wolf is Blizzard-chin."

**WOOF!** Blizzard barked.

"Aww~! They're so adorable~!" the mermaids swooned.

_Wow,_ Blizzard thought. _Already, we're feeling the love._

"And the crybaby here is Sanji-chin!"

"I FINALLY FOUND IT~!" Sanji sobbed. "THE ALL BLUE~!"

"So your quest is over, then, Sanji?" Usopp questioned.

"Hey, come on now!" said a mermaid with a lily in her hair. "What are you crying about?"

She grabbed Sanji's hand, much to his surprise.

"Take off your clothes and come on in," said the mermaid. "We can dance in the water, together!"

Sanji gasped and fell to his knees, his tears streaking down his face. To him…this was more than he could ever ask for: to be surrounded and flirted with by such beautiful mermaids and not be rejected by girls, for once.

"This…this is too good to be true," Sanji sobbed. "Now I understand. Today must be my dying day!"

"What's with all this negative talk?!" questioned Usopp. "Seriously, man, what happened to you in the last two years?! Isn't this island the paradise that you've always wanted to see?! Oh, man, now you've got me wanting to cry! Just accept the fact that something good finally happened to you, for once?!"

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" the mermaids laughed. "Oh, Sanji! You're so funny!"

One particular mermaid has the tail of a Regal Blue Tang, solid blue hair that has been parted to cover her left eye, like Sanji did two years ago, a lime green seashell bra.

"Hi, there," she greeted the Straw Hats. "The name's Maxine. Camie told us a lot about you guys."

"Hi!" Luffy greeted.

Blizzard approached Maxine, sniffing her face and giving her a kiss, which made her giggle.

"Aw, your dog is so cute!" Maxine said. "You know, I've got a dog, too."

"You do?" Luffy asked.

"Sure do," Maxine said. "Well, she's really my big brother's dog, but I just took her out for some exercise. Would you like to meet her?"

"Sure!" Luffy said.

Maxine turned away from the Straw Hats and put her thumb and index finger in her mouth. **FWEET!** She let out a shrill whistle.

"Moon! Here girl!" she called.

Blizzard gasped.

_Moon?_ he thought. _No, no, it can't be. She probably means a different Moon._

**YIP! YIP!**

"Here she comes!"

Blizzard looked up and saw a dark gray Husky dog female about half his size with big black eyes, and around her neck is a purple collar with a silver dog tag dangling from it.

The moment the canines' eyes met one another, something clicked in their minds. The Husky female approached Blizzard, slowly.

A somewhat awkward pause occurred.

"_M…Moon?"_ Blizzard asked the female.

"_Blizzard?"_ Moon asked. _"Is it…really you? Big brother?"_

Blizzard smiled and nodded his head. Before long, **FWUMP!** Moon tackled Blizzard to the ground, taking the larger dog by surprise, but soon, the two began running around and frolicking like they were 9 weeks old.

Luffy and Chopper didn't seem to understand, but then they smiled at each other. They didn't have to ask Blizzard why he was so happy, for they knew exactly why.

"Uh, excuse me," said Maxine. "But does your dog happen to know Moon?"

"He doesn't just know her," said Chopper.

"Moon's his little sister," Luffy added.

Maxine gasped before she turned to look at the two frolicking wolf-dogs, and at first, she didn't think it seemed possible, considering the fact that Blizzard was a lot bigger than Moon and had completely white fur, but after seeing how happy the two looked, the Regal Blue Tang Mermaid smiled at them.

"I guess so," she said.

But not too far away from the bay, two other mermaids are investigating a peculiar looking barrel, one that had been sealed with metal and tied up with rope.

"This barrel arrived with Camie's friends," said one of the mermaids. "I wonder what could be inside. Sake? Treasure?"

"I'm not sure," said her friend, "but they sure did seal it up tight. Whatever's inside must be really special! Shall we open it?"

"Hmm…" the other mermaid hummed inquisitively.

"KIHIHIHI…" a familiar snickered is heard from within the barrel, but the mermaids didn't hear it.

XXX

Meanwhile, at a giant ark known as _Noah_ in the Fishman District of Fishman Island…

"So…Straw Hat Luffy and his crew are finally here, eh?"

"Yes, boss," Hammond said with a bit of nervousness in his voice. "W-what are your orders."

A shadowy figured flashed a grin full of sharp teeth with a sinister voice, "Bring him…to me. JAHAHAHAHAHA…"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Aww, how sweet! Blizzard is reunited with his little sister! :D

Also, I gotta say I'm pretty happy for Sanji. He does deserve some love, don't you think? XD

Review, please!


	7. Adventure on Fishman Island

**Ch. 7- Adventure on Fishman Island**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Maxine the Mermaid, and Moon © Me

* * *

The air and water is filled with laughter as the mermaids played in the bay…with Sanji frolicking with them.

"I…am going…TO LIVE HERE!" Sanji declared.

"Sanji! You're so funny!" exclaimed one of the mermaids as she playfully chased after him.

Blizzard and Moon are sitting at the shore of the inlet together, having tired themselves out after their reunion frolic. They decided that they would do some catching up while they rested. Apparently, Moon knew that since Blizzard is now a member of the Straw Hats, he would eventually come to Fishman Island, so she kept the torch lit for him, even during those two years when he went into hiding. Now, Moon got to know Luffy and the others, thanks to her brother.

"_So, you're saying that that guy acts like this everyday?"_ asked Moon.

"_Well, actually,"_ Blizzard began, _"this is the first time I've ever seen Sanji act even more…perverted than usual."_

"_I see,"_ Moon said. _"What about that cute little raccoon dog?"_

"_His name is Chopper, and he's not a raccoon dog,"_ Blizzard said. _"He's a blue-nosed reindeer. He's just like me, kind of. We both share the same past."_

"_So in a way, he's kind of like a little brother, huh?"_ Moon asked.

"_What?"_ Blizzard asked.

Moon seemed to giggle.

"_Never mind,"_ she said. _"You always seem to act so aloof."_

"_Aloof?"_ Blizzard repeated questioned. _"What is that supposed to mean?"_

"_Just let it go,"_ Moon said.

Blizzard sighed and rolled his eyes.

"You guys are so lucky," said Luffy, splashing his feet in the water and pursing his lips in a pout. "I wanna go swimming, too."

"You can too, Luffy-chin," Camie said, "if you wear a bubble."

"I can?!" Luffy asked, excitedly. "Really?!"

"Looks like being here in the Mermaid Inlet might've cured Sanji," Usopp mused, watching Sanji play with the mermaids.

"If he'd gotten any more nosebleeds," Chopper started, "then it would've been bad. I ran out of Sanji's blood type, and it's really rare, you know."

"Hey, Camie!" Luffy called.

"Yes, Luffy-chin?" asked Camie.

"There's somebody here on Fishman Island who I wanted visit," Luffy said.

"Oh?" Camie mused. "Who's that? The Mermaid Princess?"

"Nope," Luffy answered before he grinned widely. "Jimbei!"

Blizzard looked to Luffy upon hearing Jimbei's name, and he smiled.

_Ah, good old Jimbei,_ he thought wagging his tail.

"_Oh, yeah!"_ Moon said. _"Blizzard, you and Luffy fought alongside Jimbei in that war two years ago, didn't you?"_

"_That's right, sis,"_ Blizzard answered. _"We owe Jimbei a lot."_

"You wanna see Big Boss Jimbei, Luffy-chin?" asked Camie.

"Yup!" Luffy answered. "Jimbei helped save me and Blizzard, two years ago, after Ace died. I wanna see him!"

"Wait a minute!" Usopp cried. "Jimbei? As in 'Sea Knight' Jimbei?! You know TWO Warlords of the Sea?! Oh…but I guess that means he's a former Warlord, right?"

"Yep!" Luffy answered. "He's our friend!"

"HOW IS IT THAT YOU KNOW THESE PEOPLE?!" Usopp questioned.

_Flashback; two years ago_

Jimbei stood on the back of the whale sharks, looking up at Luffy and Blizzard, who stood aboard the Kuja Pirates' ship.

"We'll meet again on Fishman Island, two years from now!" Jimbei declared. "I look forward to seeing you and your crew there, Luffy!"

"You got it!" Luffy said with a broad smile.

**RUFF! RUFF!** Blizzard barked.

_Flashback end_

"We made a promise that we'd meet up with each other, here," said Luffy.

"Now that you mention it," Camie said, "I do remember reading an article in the newspaper about, Blizzard-chin, and Big Boss Jimbei!"

"So, where's Jimbei?" Luffy asked.

"Well…he's not on the island, right now," said Camie.

"He's not?!" Luffy questioned. "Well, where is he?!"

"After the Paramount War ended, he resigned his position as one of the Seven Warlords," Camie explained, "and former Fishman Pirates aren't allowed to stay here on the island, anymore. They all left the island with Big Boss Jimbei."

"So does that mean I can't see him?!" Luffy asked.

_Aw, man,_ Blizzard thought. _That sucks! Aside from Moon, Jimbei's another reason I came here!_

"It's a long story," Camie said, "but after the war, a lot of stuff happened on the island and-"

"Camie!"

"Camie!"

"Camie!"

"Camie!"

"Camie!"

Camie turned and saw the Guppy Mermaid Quintuplets approaching, and they seemed rather frantic.

"What's wrong, girls?" asked Camie.

"A ship is coming!" cried Ichika.

"It might be coming!" declared Nika.

"A ship from the palace is coming!" exclaimed Sanka.

"Maybe there's nobody on it!" mused Yonka.

"Of course there's someone on it!" corrected Yonka #2.

"Who's on the ship?!" asked Camie.

"We don't know, yet!" answered Ichika.

"It's a rare ship from the palace!" cried Nika.

"It's ship that rarely comes around here," said Yonka #2.

"Maybe they're after Luffy because he and his friends came here illegally!" cried Yonka.

"Wait, we did?" Luffy asked.

"_You did?!"_ Moon asked Blizzard.

"_What are they talking about?!"_ Blizzard questioned. _"All we did was go through the bubble that surrounded the island!"_

"_You were supposed to go in through the gate!"_ Moon remarked. _"Going in through the barrier is an illegal entry here on Fishman Island!"_

"_Look, we didn't have much of a choice, okay?!"_ Blizzard asked. _"We were about to die!"_

"_Ugh, you're still as thickheaded as I remember you!"_ Moon groaned.

"Luffy-chin!" Camie called. "Quick! You have to hide!"

"Oh! Okay!" Luffy said. "Come on, guys! Hurry!"

As the Straw Hats went to hide, a Giant Oarfish appeared, carried what appeared to be a boat around its body that said "Ryugu Castle".

"Isn't that a royal gondola?" asked Camie.

"You think so?" asked Ichika.

"Yeah!" answered Nika.

"No it's not!" declared Sanka.

"I think it is," said Yonka.

"So what if it is?" questioned Yonka #2.

"I highly doubt anybody from the royal family would be on that ship," said one of the mermaids. "They wouldn't come all the way down to our neck of woods from Ryugu Castle, would they?"

**BRUP-BRUP-BRUH-BRAAAAAH~!** The sound of horns playing is heard.

"Their excellencies, the Neptune Princes, have arrived!" someone announced.

Three figures appeared on the head of the Giant Oarfish.

"Hello, girls of the Mermaid Inlet. I have something to ask you."

The mermaids immediately began to scream like a bunch of fan girls.

"It's the Princes~!"

"What brings you all the way down here~?!"

Behind some coral, Luffy, Usopp, Blizzard, and Chopper are peaking around the corner, making sure not to be spotted.

"Did they say 'princes'?" Usopp questioned, softly.

"Sounds like it to me," Luffy whispered.

Blizzard just stood silently.

As for Sanji, he too is hiding…in one of the worst places possible: his face betwixt Maxine's bosom.

"Stay hidden, Sanji," said Maxine.

Sanji gasped and panted with hearts in his eyes.

On the royal gondola, it is revealed that the figures are revealed to be three large mermen.

The first is a rotund and stock merman with a polka dot tail with red scales. He also has brown hair and red ear-like fins on his head. His attire consists of a blue hat with a white stripe going across the middle of it which is serrated at the bottom side and also has a dot pattern inside of it, and he wears a yellow sash around that passes over his shoulders and draws a circle around the back of his neck, making it look as if it were floating.

The second is an extremely tall and thin merman, the tallest of the three by the looks of it. He has wide eyes, long, wavy, dark pink hair, and beaver-like teeth. He wears a fancy robe-like garment with long sleeves that are puffed up at the shoulders and wrists. He carries two swords behind him that are held in place with an orange sash that is worn in the same manner as the first merman's sash. Like the first merman, his tail is long and polka dotted with red scales on the back.

The last merman is an enormous, muscular merman with a wide chest and large arms. He has a long face, framed by wavy fair blue hair that flowed down to his shoulders, with a sharp and pointy nose and dot of some sort in the middle of his head. He has gills on his massive neck and has a dark blue shark tail with light blue polka dots. Around his waist is a light blue sash, also worn in the same manner as the first two. In his hand is a gold trident.

They are the three Sons of Neptune: Manboshi, a Sunfish Merman and the youngest, Ryuboshi, a Giant Oarfish Merman the second youngest, and Fukaboshi, a Shark Merman the oldest.

"Red Mambo! Red Mambo!" Manboshi sang. "Shake, shake, shake! Wow! Let's just relax and dance here, too! What do you say, brother?!"

"Not now, Manboshi," Fukaboshi said. "We're here on serious business, remember." He then turned to the mermaids.

"Forgive us for interrupting your usual daytime frolic," he said, "but we received a report of pirates entering the island, illegally. Have you seen them?"

"If they did come here," said Ryuboshi, "then please do tell us _mi fa so la ti do~!_ If not, then that's too bad, _mi re do~!_"

"N-no!" said Camie. "Not at all, your majesties! No one came here!"

"Are they really important?" asked one of the mermaids.

"So important, that it's worth your visit~?" asked another mermaid.

"I'm not too sure if they're the ones we're looking for," said Fukaboshi.

"Not so sure _mi red do~!_" Ryuboshi sang.

"Come on, girls, let's dance!" Manboshi called. "Sunfish Mambo! Sunfish Mambo! WAHOO!"

Not too far away, Hammond and his gang, accompanied by a giant sea bear, watched in disbelief.

"What the hell's going on at the Inlet?" Hammond questioned. "Those are the Neptune Princes! Dammit, what are they doing here?!"

"We're very sorry, Prince Fukaboshi-chin," said Camie, "but I'm afraid that you came all this way for nothing."

"CAMIE~!" the mermaids whined.

"I see," said Fukaboshi. "Well, thank you all very much for you trouble. I suppose my brothers and I will be looking out elsewhere. The border patrol must've been mistaken. I apologize for interrupting your play."

"Oh, that's okay~!" swooned of the mermaids, lovingly.

"Let's dance some other time, ladies~!" called Manboshi.

"Sorry for bothering you all _fa mi re do~!_" Ryuboshi sang.

As the Neptune Princes began to sail away, Maxine peeked around the corner and heaved a sigh of relief.

"Good," she whispered. "Looks like they're gone. Are you okay, Sanji?"

Sanji shivered and smiled and his nostrils flared. He couldn't hold it in much longer. Without warning, he lifted his head up to the sky, and then, **PLOOOOSH!** A humungous geyser of blood in the shape of a mermaid came gushing out from the inlet!

"OH, NO!" Chopper cried. "SANJI!"

_DAMMIT TO HIGH HELL!_ Blizzard thought.

"AAAAAAAAH!" Maxine is heard screaming. "SOMEBODY HELP! SANJI'S BLEEDING TO DEATH!"

"Holy crap!" Luffy shouted.

"I knew he couldn't hold it in!" Usopp yelled.

As the Straw Hats and the mermaids pulled Sanji on the shore of the inlet, they are unaware that Fukaboshi has spotted them.

"That's…" Fukaboshi began. "There's no mistaking it! It's the pirate, Straw Hat Luffy, and his crew! AMMO KNIGHTS! SEIZE THEM!"

"Yes, sir!"

Out of the gondola came an army of Fishmen wearing shell armor and armed with tridents.

"So I was right!" Hammond said. "The Straw Hats are still alive, after all!"

"Well, now what?" asked Hyouzou. "They're gonna get captured."

"There'll be even more trouble if we decided to scrap with the Neptune Army, here and now," Hammond said. "Dammit to hell. Of all the people, it had to be the Princes!"

"Sanji! Hang in there!" Usopp cried as he pulled a blanket over the cook. "You can't die yet!"

"M…mermaids…" Sanji muttered as he continued to bleed out.

Chopper turned around and saw the Ammo Knights drawing near.

"Wait! Wait!" Chopper cried. "Listen! I'm sorry that we entered the island, illegally, but PLEASE don't arrest us yet! Can someone, ANYONE, please donate some blood?! Our friend is in terrible danger! He's gonna die! His blood type is S-RH-! I know it's rare, but does anyone have it?! Or do Fishmen and humans not have the same kind of blood?!"

All around them, the Ammo Knights and the mermaids around them are still and quiet. It was almost as if they were…afraid.

"Hey!" Luffy cried. "Somebody, please help us! Give Sanji some blood! Please!"

"Hurry!" Chopper cried. "Doesn't anyone have the blood type S-RH-?!"

"Please!" Usopp pleaded. "We can't let him die such an idiotic death!"

No one answered.

"I don't get it!" Luffy said. "Why isn't anyone helping?!"

"_Moon,"_ Blizzard said to his sister. _"You've lived here for five years, now! Surely you know what's going on! Why isn't anyone helping us?!"_

"_Your guess is as good as mine!"_ Moon replied. _"I'm just a pet dog! How am I supposed to know what goes on around this island?!"_

"Chopper-chin," Camie whispered into the reindeer's ear. "Mermen, mermaids, Fishmen, and humans all have the same blood. We could give each blood transfusions and all, but the thing is…"

"HAMOHAMOHAMOHAMO! YOU STUPID HUMANS?! WHAT'S ALL THIS BULLSHIT ABOUT?!"

Everyone looked up and saw Hammond and his gang.

"It's him!" Luffy exclaimed. "That guy we saw outside the island! The one with the sea beast!"

"You humans are inferior race!" Hammond shouted. "No one on Fishman Island is stupid enough give YOU any blood! If they did, then the ones who have a great hatred for you humans would come to judge them in the dead of night!"

**SPLASH!** Usopp turned and saw that Camie had dived into the water.

"Huh?" Usopp muttered. "Wait! Camie! Come back!"

"Prince Fukaboshi!" said one of the Ammo Knights. "It's Hammond and his gang from the Fishman District!"

"I know," Fukaboshi hissed.

Sanji panted as blood continued to leak out of his nose.

"My, look at all that blood!" Hammond mused, mockingly. "Let that fool bleed to death! This nation has a law that has been followed since long ago! It is completely forbidden to share any blood with humans!"

"What?!" Usopp and Chopper cried.

Luffy seethed at the Pike Conger Fishman.

"This rule was laid down by you humans in the first place!" shouted Hammond. "In the long history of our existence, you feared us and called us monsters! You were the ones who refused to mix your blood with ours! The death of the great Fisher Tiger was no different! He was the Hero of Fishman Island!"

"Fisher Tiger?" Luffy repeated.

"_Wait a minute,"_ Blizzard said. _"Luffy, wasn't he that guy that saved Hancock and her sisters from slavery?"_

Luffy scratched his head, trying to think back.

"Fisher Tiger didn't care what race anyone was and risked his life to free the slaves!" Hammond continued. "In the bloody battle that ensued, he could've survived if he'd only been given a simple blood transfusion! YOU HEARTLESS HUMANS REFUSED TO HAVE YOUR BLOOD MIXED WITH HIS! THAT ALONE SEALED HIS DOOM!"

The Straw Hats glanced at one another, then back at Hammond.

"Now, Straw Hat Luffy!" Hammond shouted. "Leave your worthless underling to die and come with us to the Fishman District! Captain Hody Jones of the New Fishman Pirates demands that you come, RIGHT NOW!"

Usopp seethed before he turned to the mermaids in the bay.

"Hey!" he called. "I don't care about what kind of laws you guys have got around here! Doesn't anyone of you have the blood type S-RH-?! Please! We'll do anything to repay you! You have to save our friends life!"

"If you won't come, peacefully," said Hammond, "then we'll just have to take you by force!"

**CHAK!** He pulled up a bazooka.

Luffy just placed his hand on his hat.

"Gear…SECOND!"

**BLUMP!** Luffy pumped his blood through his legs.

"Trawl NET!" Hammond shouted.

**BANG!** He fired the bazooka and a net came out, but Luffy disappeared and then reappeared before it could trap him.

"I already told you," he said. "WE'RE NOT JOINING YOU! Jet…PISTOL!"

**BAM! BAM! BAM!** He hit the three New Fishmen Pirates in rapid succession.

**SKISSH!** Hyouzou managed to stand his ground while Hammond and Kasagoba fell unconscious.

As Luffy came out of Gear Second mode, he suddenly clutched his arm, almost as if here in pain.

"_What's wrong, Luffy?"_ Blizzard asked. _"Everything okay?"_

"I think something stung me," said Luffy.

"_Something like what?"_ Blizzard asked.

"I dunno," Luffy said, "but I'll have Chopper look at it, later."

"He just beat Hammond of the Fishman District!" cried one of the Ammo Knights.

_Oh my lord…!_ Moon thought. _I heard he was strong, but not this strong!_

Suddenly, **GRRAAAAAWWR!** The giant Sea Bear that came with Hammond and his men appeared right behind Luffy, prepared to bite down and swallow him whole.

"LUFFY!" Usopp cried. "LOOK OUT! BEHIND YOU!"

Blizzard was about to jump at the Sea Bear and bite him in the face, but Luffy raised his hand up.

"_Luffy!"_ the wolf-dog said.

"I got this," he said.

Blizzard smirked at Luffy, who raised his other hand up and glared up at the Sea Bear, who flinched.

"Sit boy!" Luffy ordered.

The Sea Bear sat down in front of Luffy and whimpered like a kicked puppy.

"The Sea Bear gave up without even putting up a fight!" Usopp cried.

"Wow!" Maxine exclaimed. "Luffy is so amazing!"

"Impressive," said Fukaboshi.

"Luffy-chin!"

The Straw Hats looked up and saw Camie, sitting on the giant oarfish that pulled the royal gondola.

"Camie!" Chopper called.

"Grab Sanji, get him up here, and let's hurry to the town!" Camie called. "Quickly! There should be lots of humans in the town by the port!"

"Okay!" Luffy called. "We're coming!"

**WROING!** He stretched his arms and grabbed onto the oarfish's dorsal fin.

"H-hey! Wait a minute!" Usopp cried. "Don't tell me you're gonna-"

"Yes, he is!" Chopper whimpered.

_Here we go, again!_ Blizzard thought.

"Gum-GUUUUUM…ROCKET!"

**WOOSH!** Luffy catapulted himself and the others onto the oarfish's back.

"LUFFY! YOU GOTTA BE MORE CAREFUL!" Chopper barked. "SANJI'S IN CRITICAL CONDITION!"

"Sorry!" Luffy apologized. "At least he's on, right?!"

"Hey! Wait!" shouted one of the Ammo Knights. "Come back with that! That ship belongs to the Princes!"

"I'm sorry!" Camie called. "I'll give it right back after we've helped Sanji-chin!" She then looked to the oarfish. "Oarfish-chin! Please take us to the port town!"

**MOZOO~!** The oarfish bellowed before it floated away.

**YIP! YIP! YIP!** Blizzard looked down upon hearing that barking and saw Moon, trying to chase after the gondola, only to stop at the shoreline of the bay. Saddened to see her brother leaving so soon, she could let out a long, loud howl.

_**ARROOOOOOOOOOOOO~!**_ Blizzard howled out to her.

"_Moon!"_ Blizzard called down to her. _"I promise, we can catch up some more, later! I promise!"_

Camie turned to face Luffy and the others.

"I'm so sorry about this," she apologized. "If Sanji-chin and I had the same blood type, I'd gladly give him some of mine!"

"You've got nothing to be sorry for!" Usopp remarked. "It's Sanji's own fault for having such a dirty mind! I mean, look at the guy! He's still smiling, even now!"

"Sanji, snap out of it!" Chopper cried. "Just don't think about any mermaids! You'll die!"

"Yeah!" Luffy agreed. "And if you die, who's gonna feed me?!"

"_That's all you're worried about?!"_ Blizzard asked in disbelief _"Talk about having a one-track mind!"_

"I can't help it!" Luffy shouted. "All this worrying has made me hungry!"

**GRRROOOOOWL!** Luffy's stomach grumbled.

"Then again," Usopp started, "I remember the discrimination that you and Hachi faced, back at the Sabaody Archipelago. The scars must run pretty deep, but I never thought that a stupid nosebleed could cause such a fuss."

"We can't relax, just yet," said Camie. "Once we get into town, it might take us a while to find a donor. There haven't been many human visitors in at least a month."

"But why not?" Luffy asked. "I thought this place was famous."

"You're right," Camie said. "It's a trendy hot spot for travelers. We think that someone may be attacking pirates on their way here. Rumor has it that there's something sinister going on in the underbelly of the island."

"Underbelly?" Luffy repeated. "I didn't know islands had stomachs."

"They DON'T, Luffy," Usopp corrected. "It's a figure of speech. She means like the slums where all the bad guys like to hang out and plot their evil plans and stuff."

"…I think I'm scared, already," Chopper said.

XXX

Back at the Mermaid Inlet…

"I don't believe you girls," said Fukaboshi. "I an very surprised and disappointed in all of you. Why in the world would you harbor those pirates?"

"We're really sorry, Prince Fukaboshi," one of the mermaids said, "but they were Camie's friends and all."

"Plus, they didn't seem like such bad guys," said another mermaid. "We thought it'd be too harsh on them to get charged with illegal entry."

"I really hope Sanji will be okay," said Maxine.

Moon whimpered, missing her big brother.

"Sunfish Mambo! Sunfish Mambo~!" Manboshi sang as he shimmied side-to-side. "You girls have got it all wrong~!"

"Manboshi is right," said Fukaboshi. "Forgive us, ladies. I'm afraid we should have explained our true intentions from the beginning. They are very notorious pirates, that much is true. They didn't need to be examined at the border because we already knew who they were, but that's not why we were looking for them."

"He's right!" Ryuboshi said. "We were looking for the Straw Hats for a different reason _re mi fa~!_"

"You were?" asked Maxine.

"Yes," Fukaboshi replied. "I'm afraid we missed our chance to give Straw Hat Luffy our message from Jimbei."

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Review, please, and be nice!


	8. Madam Sharley the Fortuneteller

**Ch. 8- Madam Sharley the Fortuneteller**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Moon, Maxine the Mermaid © Me

* * *

In Coral Hill's Port Town, a place completely made of coral and giant seashells in Ryugu Kingdom…

"Sanji! You're awake! Are you okay?!"

"Sanji-chin!"

In a room somewhere in town, Sanji had been hooked up to at least four bags of S-RH- blood, and after what seemed like hours, he has finally awoken.

"W…where am I?" Sanji asked.

Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, Blizzard, and Camie all heaved sighs of relief.

"Thank god," said Chopper.

_Just when I thought he wasn't gonna make it,_ Blizzard thought.

"You're at one of my friends' house, Sanji-chin," said Camie. "You've lost a lot of blood, you know."

"I'm so happy we found a couple of donors," said Chopper.

"Wait…blood?" Sanji repeated as he sat up and looked at the tubes stuck in his wrist. "What happened to me?"

"Wait! Don't get up so fast!" said Camie. "You should still rest."

"But why wouldn't the Fishmen give us any blood?" Luffy asked, slumped against a sofa. "We practically ran over town, but we couldn't find any humans, anywhere."

"I was about ready to throw in the towel!" Usopp exclaimed, also slumped up against a chair.

Blizzard just panted as he lied on the floor.

"You guys did all that for me?" asked Sanji. "Thanks." He then put his hand to his hand.

"Damn," he cursed. "Where was I? What was I doing? I can't remember a thing-"

"NO!" Luffy and Usopp cried. "DON'T THINK BACK!"

"The last thing we need is for you to have another nosebleed!" Chopper added.

_For god's sake, do us all a favor and just forget about mermaids!_ Blizzard thought.

"By the way, Sanji!" Usopp called, approaching a curtain. "I wanna introduce you to the donors! We found them at a local tavern!"

"It's all right. We're all people here," said a voice.

"We should help each other in times of need, don't we?" asked another voice.

"What?" Sanji asked. "Some beautiful ladies gave me their blood?"

Usopp pulled back the curtain…revealing to cross-dressers.

"Sanji," Usopp said, "meet Splash and Splatter! They're twins!"

"Need any more, sweetheart?" asked Splash.

"We'll give you more if you want!" exclaimed Splatter.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Sanji screamed, foaming at the mouth before he passed out.

"Hey, Sanji, wake up!" Usopp shouted. "Come on! You better thank these two! I know I would!"

"Well, at least he's back to normal," said Luffy. "Uh…I think."

"_Jeez, what's wrong with him?"_ Blizzard asked. _"He acts like he's seen the Devil or something!"_

"Beats me," said Luffy.

Chopper then turned to look at Luffy and gasped.

"Chopper?" Luffy asked. "What's wrong?"

"Luffy," Chopper said. "Lemme look at your right arm, real quick."

"Uh…okay," said Luffy.

A moment later, Chopper rolled up Luffy's sleeve and spotted a tiny hole in his wrist. After he took a sample of his blood and saw it turn purple, he gasped.

"I was right!" Chopper said. "Luffy…you've been poisoned!"

"I have?" Luffy asked.

"_You have?!"_ Blizzard questioned, worryingly. _"Oh, god, not again!"_

"But I didn't even feel anything," said Luffy.

"_Luffy, think back!"_ Blizzard demanded. _"Think back to the Mermaid Inlet! After you hit those Fishman Pirate guys, you said you felt something sting you, right?"_

Luffy's eye widen and he smacked his forehead.

"Oh, right!" he said. "After I hit those Fishmen, I felt a little tingle!"

"Are you sure you're okay?!" Usopp asked.

"Yeah!" Luffy answered. "I didn't feel a thing after that! It didn't even hurt that much, really."

"Luffy, this is really strong venom!" Chopper said as he dabbed a cotton swab against Luffy's wrist. "But it looks like there are antibodies in your blood stream. Your immune system fought off the poison and you didn't even know it! That's amazing!"

"_You mean…Luffy's immune to poison, now?"_ Blizzard asked.

"I guess so," Luffy said. "Sweet! I really did get a lot stronger!"

"Luffy, did you ever get hit with a lot of poison, two years ago?" Chopper asked.

"Hmm…" Luffy hummed. "Oh! At Impel Down, I fought some guy with some poison Devil Fruit powers! I almost died, too. Heheheheh!"

"Luffy, that's not funny!" Usopp remarked.

"_He's right, you know,"_ Blizzard agreed. _"Dammit, how can you just laugh that off?! I almost lost you!"_

"It was probably him," Luffy mused. "The swordsman with the octopus legs. He was the only one who managed to stand his ground after I hit. He must be a pretty strong guy."

"_You're not even listening to me, are you?"_ Blizzard asked, irritated.

"Sorry, Blizzard, I wasn't listening," said Luffy. "Did you say something?"

"_Never mind,"_ Blizzard said with a sigh.

XXX

Meanwhile, nearby the Mermaid Inlet, Hyouzou is walking to the Fishman District, carrying his unconscious comrades with two of his octopus tentacles, when suddenly, he hears a scream.

"That came from the inlet," said Hyouzou. "Ugh…those damn bitches sound so annoying. Now what am I gonna with these two? And I accidentally shot Straw Hat with some poison. **HIC!** I hope I didn't end up killing him.

At the Mermaid Inlet, the mermaids seemed panicked.

"That scream," said one of the mermaids. "It sounded like Ishilly!"

"Ishilly!" called another mermaid. "Where are you?!"

"I heard her scream come from somewhere on the shore," said one more. "She said something about opening a barrel."

On the shore of the inlet, the barrel that the mermaids found with the Straw Hats…has been pried open.

"I wonder where she could've gone."

"I guess it's a good thing that Maxine left to take Moon back to Joe's place, huh?"

XXX

Back with the Straw Hats, Camie has brought Luffy, Usopp, and Blizzard to another room, where they meet a very large mermaid wearing a dark blue hoodie, short black hair, beads around her waist, and blowing a bubble pipe.

"So," said the large mermaid, "how's the blonde boy?"

"He's alive, thank goodness," said Camie. "Thank you for letting us use your room, Madam Sharley! But, please, don't go in there. You're much too beautiful! Also, please don't tell Sanji-chin that this is the back room of the Mermaid Café! If he finds out, Chopper-chin, his doctor, says he'll have another relapse!"

"That's a rather odd prescription," said Sharley with a chuckle.

"Hey, Big Mermaid Lady!" Luffy called, poking at a crystal ball in a giant clam. "What's this thing?"

"Luffy-chin!" Camie cried. "Call her 'Madam Sharley'!"

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you, Straw Hat Boy," said Sharley.

"That's Madam Sharley's crystal ball," Camie said. "She's famous in Coral Hill for her fortunetelling!"

"Actually, I gave up that up," said Sharley. "The future is better left unknown."

"Hey, I got a question," said Luffy. "Can mermaids crap?"

"_WHY IN THE FREAKING HELL WOULD YOU ASK HER SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!"_ Blizzard asked.

Sharley suddenly towered Luffy, an ominous and angry aura emanating from her.

"Vulgar child…!" she hissed.

"Luffy-chin!" Camie cried. "You better apologize, right away!"

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry!" Luffy apologized.

_Jeez, Louise!_ Blizzard thought. _I thought Nami was scary, but this chick really takes the cake!_

"Camie," Sharley said, regaining her calm and collected visage, "why don't you go and take the day off. You can give your friends a tour of the island."

"Are you sure about that?" asked Camie.

"Of course," said Sharley. "We haven't had any human pirates here for some time, now. There's almost nothing to do. The girls from the Inlet should be on their way soon. The girls from the Inlet should be on their way soon, so I have enough star helpers to handle the customers."

"Star?" Camie repeated before she gasped. "Oh, dear! I have to go! I need to deliver these clams to Pappug! He must be starving!"

"What the hell made you think about that?" Usopp asked.

"If you're looking for Monsieur Pappug," Sharley began, "he's making merry in the café. Said something about running into an old friend of his."

"An old friend?" Camie repeated.

XXX

A moment later, Luffy, Usopp, and Blizzard are following Camie to the Mermaid Café.

"I couldn't tell you this, earlier," said Camie, "but when Madam Sharley was little, she said that a lot of pirates would start coming to this island, and then a year after that, the Great Pirate Era began."

"What?!" Luffy and Usopp asked in shock.

_Whoa!_ Blizzard thought. _Who knew?!_

"There are way too many examples to count," said Camie, "but she also foresaw the Paramount War, as well as the death of Portgas D. Ace, Whitebeard, and Stefan, and everything else. She hates it because her prophecies always come true."

"Wait," Luffy said. "Old Man Whitebeard and his dog are dead?!"

"It was all over the news, two years ago," Camie said. "Plus, you and Blizzard-chin were there. Didn't you see them die?"

"Not really," Luffy said. "I just pretty much blacked out after Ace died. Man…I didn't know Old Man Whitebeard and his dog died, too."

**Gulp!** Blizzard swallowed the lump in his throat.

"That all sounds pretty scary, Camie," Usopp said.

"Yeah," Camie agreed. "How about we stop talking about it, for now?"

"Good idea," Usopp agreed.

"Hey!" Luffy said. "Where'd Chopper go?"

"_He said he'd stay behind to keep an eye on Sanji, remember?"_ Blizzard asked.

"Oh, yeah," Luffy said. "Right."

"Here's Coral Hill's Main Street," Camie said. "And look!"

The Straw Hats followed Camie's gaze and saw that they are now standing in front of a huge building with the sign "Mermaid Café" on the front.

"Here's the Mermaid Café's main entrance!" Camie said.

_Whoa!_ Blizzard thought, wagging his tail. _Looks like a ritzy joint, huh?_

**GRRRUUUMMMMBLE!** Luffy's stomach growled, grabbing the attention of Usopp, Blizzard, and Camie.

"Seriously, Luffy?" Usopp asked in disbelief.

"What?" Luffy asked. "I saw the sign and I got hungry!"

"_Oh, really?"_ Blizzard asked. _"Wasn't that about an hour ago?"_

"Luffy, this is a café," Usopp said. "I don't think they serve food here."

"Actually, they do," Camie corrected. "They have cake and fruit from the sea!"

"What about meat?" Luffy asked.

"Oh, sorry, Luffy-chin," Camie said. "Merfolk don't eat meat or fish, so the menu has things like Kelp Brulee, Seaweed Tart, and Kelp Soufflé, but if you want meat, we have shellfish! Scallop sandwiches, clam pizza, crab cake-"

"SHELLFISH ISN'T MEAT!" Luffy barked, angrily. "HOW DARE YOU DISRESPECT MEAT!"

"_Luffy, let it go!"_ Blizzard said.

"I WILL NOT LET IT GO!" Luffy shouted. "SHE CAN'T JUST TALK ABOUT MEAT LIKE THAT!"

_Good grief,_ Blizzard thought.

"Luffy, come on!" Usopp called. "Let's go inside, already!"

"Yeah," Camie agreed. "Pappug should already be inside."

Suddenly, someone exited from the café.

"YOHOHOHO!"

"Thank you very much for stopping by!"

It is revealed to be Brook, his arms wrapped around two adoring mermaids, and sitting on his shoulder is Pappug, now wearing a red scarf and a pair of shades.

"Brook!" Luffy cried.

"Oh! Mister Luffy!" Brook said. "And good heavens! Miss Camie, too!"

"Hi, Brook-chin!" Camie greeted the skeleton. "It's good to see you, too!"

"Brook! There you are!" Usopp cried.

"Straw Hat! Long Nose! Wolfie!" Pappug exclaimed with tears in his eyes. "Long time, no see! I missed you guys!"

_Uh…did he just call me Wolfie?_ Blizzard thought. _Ah, what the heck._

**SLURP!** Blizzard gave Pappug a doggy kiss to the face.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha!" Pappug laughed.

"Come back again, Soul King!" said one of the mermaids. "You were wonderful!"

"We love your music!" said the other mermaid. "We have almost all your albums!"

"YOHOHOHO!" Brook laughed. "Oh, I certainly will be returning, my lovely mermaid fans!"

"What the?!" Usopp questioned.

As the two mermaids went back inside, Brook seemed to melt, almost instantly.

"Oh," he sighed. "It almost feels like they took my backbone." He then began to twirl around.

"Oh, but wait!" he cried. "If I lose my bones, then I'll be reduced to nothing! Oh, but I don't care if I die today. Oh, but wait! I'm already dead!"

"Jeez, what happened to you in there, Brook?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah!" Usopp exclaimed. "You got that excited over the café while we were gone?!"

"Hold on a minute!" Pappug cried as he pushed Usopp aside. "I hope you're nothing thinking about leaving, today! I was just about to take Bones, here, back to my place! Why don't you guys tag along? Do you like Sea King meat?"

"Do I?!" Luffy asked excitedly, a puddle of drool forming from his mouth

"I'm a wild man, Straw Hat!" Pappug declared. "I don't eat no seaweed or kelp! My main food consists of savage Sea King meat!"

"Cool!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Oh! Pappug!" called Camie before she reached into her knapsack and pulled out a bag of clams. "I brought you your favorite clams!"

"Yay~!" Pappug cheered. "Camie's yummy clams!"

"YOU'RE EATING SHELLFISH, YOU IDIOT!" Usopp barked.

"The mermaids don't eat meat and fish," said Pappug, "but the Fishmen eat them all day, everyday! There's plenty of food to go around here on the island!"

"That's good," Luffy said before he patted his belly, "because my tummy is empty!"

"Hey! Taxi!" Pappug called.

**WOB! WOB!** A giant fish wearing a bubble on its back and a cab driver's cap on its head floated up to the group.

"Huh?" Brook muttered, looking at a flyer that has been posted to some coral. "My word! Look at this!"

The flyer is revealed to be a wanted poster…of Vander Decken.

"It's Vander Decken!" Brook cried. "Why would they put up a wanted poster of a ghost?!"

"Wait, isn't that the guy from the ghost ship we saw?" Usopp asked.

"You saw it?" Pappug asked. "That guy's the bandit of the seas! The whole country's been looking for that guy for years! Get on!"

Luffy jumped onto the fish's back and climbed into the bubble.

A moment later, Luffy, Usopp, Blizzard, Brook, Camie, and Pappug have all gotten into the fish taxi, and the four Straw Hats are relaxing on the soft cushion seats.

"Anyway," Pappug began, "this weirdo sends a love letter to the Mermaid Princess of Ryugu Kingdom almost every week! At first, he started off with just letters and packages, but now, he started to send death threats and even weapons, demanding her in marriage."

_Okay, that's beyond weird,_ Blizzard thought. _I'd say he's more of a psychopath!_

"The Mermaid Princess is too scared to do anything, now," said Pappug.

"That's right," said Camie. "Her father, King Neptune, got angry and sent his three sons to hunt him down- you know, the three mermen you saw earlier. They've got the whole army with them, but they can't find him anywhere!"

"Camie!" Pappug whined. "I was gonna say that~!"

"The ruler of Fishman Island," Camie continued, "the God of the Sea, King Neptune, has four children. The Mermaid Princess is the youngest of all of them, and the three princes are her older brothers."

"But what I want to know," Brook began, "is whether Vander Decken is really a cursed pirate from centuries ago or not!"

"Legends always grow with time, Bones," said Pappug. "That crazy captain Vander Decken exists, alright, but he ended up on Fishman Island…and died here. The ship you guys saw is probably the legendary _Flying Dutchman_, no doubt about it, but its current captain is a descendant of the first. He is-"

"His name is Vander Decken IX!" Camie cut in.

"Oh, come ON, Camie~!" Pappug whined, again.

"So that's it," Brook said. "I always thought that he was a real ghost. I actually I was going to die and be reduced to nothing but bones! Even though I was nothing but bone begin with! YOHOHOHO!"

"Hey, Usopp! Look!" Luffy said, his hands on top of the sniper's head. "I found another one!"

"Yeah! I see it!" Usopp said. "It's an old mermaid!"

Down below, the group saw an old woman with fins for feet.

"She's just like Old Lady Kokoro!" said Luffy. "She's got fins for feet, too! Hey, Camie! When you turn 30, your tail will split up, won't it?"

"That's right!" Camie answered. "How'd you know?"

_Jeez, you make it almost sound like it's not such a bad thing,_ Blizzard thought. _Then again, I never saw this Kokoro lady._

"Hey, look over there!" Usopp exclaimed, pointing to a Fishman and his two kids, one of which is being carried in a little wagon.

"Oh! It's a baby merman," Luffy said. "He's kinda cute, but his dad and big brother are Fishmen! That's really cool! The people that live here are all different colors and sizes, and they even look different, too!"

"When a mermaid or merman marries a Fishman or Fishwoman," Pappug explained, "then their kids can be either Fishmen or merfolk."

_Talk about variety,_ Blizzard thought.

"Let's take the highway," said Pappug as the fish taxi swam to a nearby Water Road, which is next to a huge building.

"Ooh! What's that over there?" Luffy asked.

"That's the Fishman Island Candy Factory," Camie answered.

"Candy?" Luffy repeated before licking his lips.

"Luffy, don't even try it!" Usopp retorted. "You're better off without it!"

"What's wrong?" Pappug asked.

"Look, we didn't tell you this before," Usopp began, "but the thing is, Luffy kinda has this issue with his sweet tooth. He can't control it very well, and he always ends up making himself sick afterwards."

"I do not!" Luffy argued.

"Yeah, right!" Usopp remarked. "I bet even after two years, you still can't control your sweet tooth!"

Luffy pouted and crossed his arms.

"By the way," Usopp said, noticing a Jolly Roger on the building. "Why's there a pirate flag on it?"

"Oh, that's also at the entrance of the port, too," Pappug answered. "This island is now under the protective custody of that flag! It's the mark of the Charlotte Linlin of the New World. She's also known as Big Mom, one of the Four Emperors!"

_The Four Emperors?_ Blizzard questioned in thought. _Shouldn't that be the Three Emperors now that Whitebeard is dead?_

"Before the Paramount War," Pappug explained, "Fishman Island was one of the many islands under Whitebeard's protection, and the others pirates didn't even dare to attack us, but now, Big Mom has taken over since Whitebeard's death. All she asks for in return for her services is at least ten tons of sweets, every month. That's what the factory is for."

"Sweets?" Luffy repeated.

"It just goes to show you how dangerous this place truly is," said Pappug. "With so many pirates coming and going, then we need somebody strong to protect us."

"But if that Big Mom lady is protecting you guys in Whitebeard's place," Luffy started, "then that makes her a good guy, doesn't it?"

"Well, I'm not too sure about that," replied Pappug. "Whitebeard never asked for anything in return when he was around. Maybe, for Big Mom, it's just business."

"Big Mom," Luffy repeated. "She's one of the Four Emperors, like Shanks. I wonder if we'll ever get to meet her."

_Who knows?_ Blizzard thought. _It wouldn't surprise me, very much, really._

"Hey, guys! Look!" Pappug called. "Up ahead!"

Everyone looked outside and saw a huge coral mansion with the sign "Crimin" on the front.

"This is Gyoverly Hills!" Pappug announced. "This is where all the rich folks live!"

"That huge coral mansion you see in front of you," Camie began, "is Pappug's mansion!"

"That place?!" Usopp questioned. "But he's just a starfish!"

XXX

Meanwhile, at Coral Hill, a shrill scream fills the air, causing quite a commotion.

"It's Madam Sharley, the owner of the Mermaid Café!"

"What's wrong, Madam?"

"Is everything all right?!"

Sharley held her head and panted as if she was in pain.

"This…this is just terrible!" Sharley cried. "It's horrible!"

"What's wrong?" asked a Fishman.

"Find him!" Sharley shouted. "Find him now! The pirate with the straw hat! Drive him and his crew away from this island, right now!"

"What? But why?!"

"Madam…you didn't see the future, again, did you?!"

"I…I didn't want to look into the crystal ball," Sharley began as she shuddered, "but…I sensed something calamitous inside him, and then…I saw the future! UGH!"

"Madam?! Madam Sharley!"

"What happened?!"

"What did you see?!"

"I wish this prophecy would not come true," Sharley said. "The young man with the straw hat…Straw Hat Luffy…HE WILL DESTROY FISHMAN ISLAND!"

In Sharley's mind, she saw the whole of Fishman Island in flames, and in the midst of it all…stood a young man with a straw hat on his head.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Review, please! And remember, be nice!


	9. Hody Jones

**Ch. 9- Hody Jones**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Moon, Maxine, and Joe © Me

* * *

In a rather rundown apartment in the Fishman District…

"Joe! Are you here?"

Maxine opened the door and floated inside, bringing Moon along with her. The whole room appeared to have no water inside, which was good for the dog.

"Joe?" Maxine called. "It's me! Maxine! I brought Moon home!"

**THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!** Maxine heard the sound of a cane thumping against the floor. Soon, a shadowy figure appeared.

It is revealed to be a Moray Eel Fishman with blue skin and gills on the sides of his neck. He has dark brown hair on his head that is styled in the form of a Mohawk with a gray streak in the middle. He has two scars on his left shoulder and on his neck appeared to be a red sun, like Hachi's mark. He has on a brown, raggedy shirt and a pair of dark red shorts, as well as a pair of sandals on his feet. For some reason, he is holding a cane in his hand and also wears a pair of tiny sunglasses.

"Hi, big brother," Maxine greeted the Fishman.

Joe nodded in acknowledgement.

**YIP! YIP!** Moon barked before she jumped at Joe, who chuckled and scratched the back of her neck, gently.

"Hi, Moon," Joe greeted her. "I missed you, girl."

"You won't believe what happened today," Maxine said. "Moon had a bit of a family reunion with her big brother."

"Oh, really?" asked Joe.

Maxine nodded, but then her smile fell. She took a bit of a glance at her surroundings: an old bed in the corner, half-empty cupboards, broken dishes…plus, the place pretty much reeked.

"Joe," Maxine said. "Listen…maybe you should move out of this old apartment."

A pause, but then, Joe stood up.

"Max," he said. "Are you gonna bring this up every time you come here?"

"It was only a suggestion!" Maxine remarked. "Look, Joe! This is a horrible neighborhood! People that live here in the Fishman District can't possible make a living here! Crime is much worse and there's barely any homes or food for you! Not to mention Moon!"

"That's why I leave her with you, sometimes, right?" asked Joe.

"That's not the point!" Maxine argued. "Please, Joe, you have to reconsider! You can't stay here, especially with that Hody Jones guy lurking around! When he finds out how you feel towards humans, he could have his men kill you and Moon in a heartbeat! Please, just move out of this place and come live with me! There's plenty of room at my place and I can afford to provide for both of y-"

"Max!"

Maxine immediately silenced herself.

"Maxine," Joe said. "I love you and Moon, too, but I can't move out of this place, even if I wanted to." He then pointed to the mark on his neck. "As long as I bear this mark upon my neck…I can never leave. That's the law King Neptune made."

Maxine frowned and Moon whimpered.

"It's a stupid law, if you ask me," the former muttered.

XXX

Meanwhile, at the _Noah_…

**TMP! TMP! TMP! TMP! KLOMP! KLOMP! KLOMP!** The sound of footsteps are heard.

"Quick! Now's our chance! Everyone, to the ship!"

"Shh! Be quiet!"

"All hands! Take the oars and go! We're setting sail, right now!"

On a coated ship that is designed to look like a crab, a band of pirates had just managed to board. For some reason, they seemed to be rather frantic.

"Thank god," said one of the pirates. "It looked like we managed to escape without them noticing."

Soon, the ship began to sail away on the current.

"C'mon! Hurry!"

"We're never going to set foot near Fishman Island again!"

"But…what about the Mermaid Café?"

"Forget that!"

"Let's just hurry and get to the Red Line before it's too late!"

The captain of the ship is revealed to be a skinny man of average height. He has a child-like, oval-shaped face and a square nose and two distinctive spots on his cheeks that makes him appear like he's blushing. He has dark hair, beard, and mustache, and a missing tooth, as well as what appears to be a four-leaf clover growing out of the top of his head. He also has very well-developed pectorals and abdominals.

He sports a bicorn hat adorned with his Jolly Roger, which is tied around his neck with a string. He wears a partially unbuttoned black vest underneath a light blue captain's coat with his arms in the sleeves, the left of which is torn off at the elbow. He has a large buckled belt on his chest from his right shoulder and striped pants reaching down to his calves with many purple and white stripes at the ends, and a pair of sandals on his feet. Also, he is armed with a katana.

His most distinctive of all, however, is the giant, orange, metal crab claw he has connected to his left arm where his hand should be.

He is "Crab Hand" Gyro, a pirate from the South Blue. His bounty: 73 million Berries.

"I can't believe this shit," Gyro cursed. "And just when we had made it passed the sleeping Kraken, we were surrounded by giant sea beasts at 30,000 feet! We didn't stand a chance! They gave us a choice: become their vassals or get sunk! What the hell kind of a choice is that?! Of course we chose life!"

"But captain," said a sniveling crewmate, "I wanted to go and see the Mermaid Café!"

"SHUT YOUR TRAP AND STOP WHINING!" Gyro barked. "You should consider yourself life you're even alive!"

Meanwhile, not too far away, inside one of the abandoned warehouses, a Fishman came inside.

"Captain!" he said. "Bad news! The pirates we recently captured! They ran away!"

"…ran away, eh?" asked a voice.

"Yes, sir!" the Fishman answered.

The figures are revealed to be five other Fishmen.

The first is a large and very tall Fishman with a head shaped like a hammer with his eyes on the edges and the top of his head being darker than the rest of his body. His mouth is full of sharp, triangular teeth. His chest is wide and his arms are very large with extremely prominent round forearms. He has light blue skin and long, wavy, light pink hair that reached down to his shoulders and the dorsal fin he has on his back. On his left arm is the same tattoo that Hammond wears.

He wears an unbuttoned, dark short-sleeved shirt with many T-like motifs on it, a pair of simple light pants, a pair of sandals, a sash tied around his waist, and a large, buckled belt hanging off his left shoulder. On the corresponding shoulder, he is holding a large hammer with a long, gnarled handle and a massive dark head with the edges curved downward.

He is Dosun, a Hammerhead Shark Fishman.

"They ran away, _dosun_?!" he questioned. "They just don't know when to give up, _dosun_!"

The second is a tall and thin Fishman with a rather odd body. He is covered in wavy light blue and indigo stripes with the number 02 tattooed on his chest. Tentacle-like whiskers hang from his face, which seems to have no nose or mouth, just a pair of sinister-looking eyes. He does have a dorsal fin, as well gills on his neck.

His legs are covered in what appears to be some sort of long inducement with a pattern identical to his body's, and he also sports the same tattoo as Dosun on his right knee. He wears a belt with a round buckle around his waist, and a pair of black boots.

He is Zeo, a Wobbegong Shark Fishman.

"The humans run away all the time," said Zeo.

The third is the smallest of all the Fishmen. He has circular eyes, a flat nose, and sharp teeth. His arms are notably larger than his hands and his skin is red. On his right arm is the same tattoo as his cohorts.

He sports a distinctive head gear composed of a hat similar to that of an aviator's with two horn-like protrusions coming out from both sides and decorated at the front, paired with a plumed crest on the top, like an ancient Roman helmet. He also wears a dark sleeveless and zipper-less jacket with a fur collar, along with a pair of Bermuda shorts.

He is Daruma, a Cookie Cutter Shark Fishman.

"This time, let's tear them apart, limb-from-limb! KYA-KYA!" Daruma laughed.

The fourth is an extremely tall Fishman, towering over everyone, even Dosun, and possesses eight arms, each of which seems to have corresponding pectoral muscles. He has a long beard, complete with a mustache, white skin, and a bulbous nose. On both of his topmost forearms and on his belly, he bears swirl-like tattoos, and on his right shoulder is the same tattoo as his cohorts.

His attire consists of a round helmet with goggles with a dark stripe on top of it, as well as large loop earring on each ear. He's bare-chested, but he wears a pair of suspender-like belts that reach down from his shoulders to his waist. These are attached by a pair of rings that support some sort of light apron-like sash upon his waist. He also sports a pair of dark pants that reach down below his knees and a pair of sandals on his feet. Each of his wrists are adorned with a bolted wristband and he holds a spear with a tassel in each hand.

He is Ikaros Much, a Giant Squid Fishman, and he, Dosun, Zeo, and Daruma are the officers of the New Fishman Pirates.

The last Fishman is a grey-skinned Fishman with the same tattoo as his men tattooed on his large belly, as well as a long scar on the left side. His arms and legs are rather muscular in contrast with his stomach (but then again, that could be muscle, too). His facial features consist of a pair of glaring eyes with long, distinctive eyelashes, a mouth full of sharp, triangular teeth, and a stub nose. He has long, curly, black hair and with a long tuft hanging on the left half of his face. His left arm is intricately tattooed with the Arlong Pirates' Jolly Roger near the wrist, like Hammond, and several circular designs ending with a pair of skulls on the upper arm. Protruding from his wrist is a ring of spike-like piercings.

He sports a pink newsboy cap on his head with a small trident marking on the left side, as well as a massive white wolf-skin scarf around his neck, the head of which is hanging off the left side of his chest. He wears an open red shirt with short sleeves, a wide collar, and dark red spot-like motifs on the lower part of the shirt. His dark blue trousers seem to be the same in design, but the spots are a lighter blue. Around his waist is a pink sash and upon his feet are a pair of sandals.

He is Hody Jones, a Great White Shark Fishman and the captain of the New Fishman Pirates.

"JAHAHAHAHA…" Hody laughed. "Then I guess we'll have to make an example of them, again."

"_Muchhi_!" Ikaros cried. "Then allow me to take care of them, Captain!"

"No, Ikaros," Hody said. "You don't have to."

"_Mch_! Understood!" Ikaros said.

"I'll go," Hody said before he reached over into a bowl and picked up some small ovular pills with a red-and-blue checker design on them.

"Get a bubble ready," ordered Hody before he plopped the pills into his mouth one-by-one and swallowed them.

"H-hey! Hody!" Daruma called. "You're taking too many at once, again!"

Hody began panting heavily before he stood up from the sofa, and then…**BA-BUMP!** His body began to swell with muscles, even his large belly. It seemed rather painful, for he screamed for a brief moment, but then, his eyes began to glow a bloody red.

"JAHAHAHAHA…" he laughed. "JAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA~!"

XXX

Meanwhile, back at Gyoverly Hills, Pappug has brought Camie and the Straw Hats to his mansion.

"TA-DAH~!" Pappug exclaimed. "We're here!"

Soon, the gang is greeted by Pappug's servants.

"Welcome home, Monsieur Pappug!"

"It's good to see you, sir!"

"Monsieur Pappug! You're back!"

"This here is my place!" Pappug said to the Straw Hats.

"Whoa!" Luffy exclaimed. "It's huge!"

_Man, the only mansion I saw this big was the Mayor's mansion back at home!_ Blizzard thought.

At the moment, a mother mermaid and her Fishman son passed by.

"Oh, look dear!" said the mermaid. "It's Monsieur Pappug!"

"Wow! The real deal!" exclaimed her son, excitedly.

"HOHOHO!" Pappug laughed. "You see that? When I'm out at sea, I'm just a fashionable starfish, but here on Fishman Island, I'm the president and the famous designer of the Criminal Brand fashion line! Why, my designer clothing stores are all over the world! Even the great Doskoi Panda is-"

"Hey, what's that at the top?" Luffy asked. "Is that a store?"

"Good eye, Luffy-chin!" Camie said. "The first floor is a Criminal Brand Store, but it's a bit noisier than usual in there."

_Gee, I wonder why,_ Blizzard thought.

"No! I'm telling YOU that everything in your store is totally overpriced! I don't care if these are cute, they're way too expensive!"

"B-b-but miss, that's the only price we can sell them! The Criminal Brand is a very popular designer label!"

"I don't care! I demand a discount!"

Luffy gasped.

"That voice…" he said before he rushed right in.

"H-hey, Luffy, wait up!" Usopp called before he and the others followed behind…except for Pappug, who has become downcast at the fact that Luffy had cut him off before he could finish his gloating.

Inside the store, it is revealed to be that the one complaining is none other than Nami.

"I'll give you 10,000 Berries for them!" she said to the store clerk.

"Oh, please, miss!" the clerk retorted. "That's less than half!"

"It's my final offer!" Nami snapped. "Take it or leave it!"

"NAMI!"

Nami looked to her right and saw Luffy, Usopp, Blizzard, Brook, Camie, and Pappug entering the store, the first of whom ran right up to her with open arms.

"Luffy!" Nami cried, happy to see her boyfriend in one piece.

"Nami was the one complaining," Usopp said. "Why does that not surprise me?"

Luffy picked Nami up and spun her around in his arms before putting her back on the floor and pulling her into a tight embrace.

"You're okay," Luffy said as he kissed Nami on the cheek. "You had me so worried about you!"

"Now you know I feel when you worry me," Nami said.

"Hi, Nami-chin!" Camie greeted the navigator.

"Camie!" Nami greeted back. "Long time, no see!"

"Oh! Monsieur Pappug!" the clerk cried. "Thank goodness you're here! I'm afraid I have a rather difficult customer on my hands!"

_You have no idea, pal,_ Blizzard thought.

"You!" Nami barked at Pappug. **WHAP!** She grabbed the starfish and pulled him up painfully by the cheek.

"What the hell is wrong with your store?!" Nami questioned. "The prices are outrageous!"

"S-sorry, Nami!" Pappug apologized, strained. "You have to pay a premium for designer labels, and my brand is very popular."

"Monsieur Pappug!" the clerk cried.

"I demand a discount!" Nami snapped.

"You don't need one!" Pappug exclaimed.

"What do you mean?" Nami questioned as she dropped the starfish.

"Look, we owe you guys big time for helping us out, two years ago," Pappug explained, "so as a way of saying 'thanks a bunch', you all can take whatever you want and as much as you want for free!"

"FREE~?!" Nami asked, excitedly.

If there was one word that was absolutely Nami's absolute favorite, it would be "free".

XXX

A few minutes later, the Straw Hats are carrying humungous bags on their shoulders.

"Thanks, Pappug!" they all said, gratefully.

"Monsieur," the clerk said. "I'm afraid they've cleaned out the entire store."

"YOU GUYS SURE DON'T HOLD BACK, DO YOU?!" Pappug asked.

"Nope!" Luffy answered with a snicker.

_And why not?_ Blizzard thought. _We are pirates, after all!_

Suddenly, there seemed to be a commotion going outside.

"Oh, my god! It's him!"

"He's here!"

"My word," Brook said. "I wonder what all the noise is about?"

"Monsieur Pappug!" called one of the servants. "There might be trouble going on outside!"

"What?!" Pappug asked. "What's the matter?!"

"Something's happening, outside!" the servant answered.

"Well, what is it?!" Pappug questioned. "Spit it out, man!"

Soon, everyone gathered outside.

"Look! Up there in the sky!"

"He's come from Ryugu Castle!"

Up in the sky, it is revealed that some mysterious figures have appeared.

"Hey," Luffy said. "Is that a whale?"

Pappug gasped, seemingly horrified.

"What's he doing all the way down at the lower levels?!" Camie asked in shocked. "I've never seen him in person before!"

"What's going on here?!" asked a mermaid. "Why did he come all the way down here, and without his guards?!"

"There must be an emergency!" exclaimed a Fishman. "Maybe some big-named pirate came to try and invade the island!"

"Oh, no!" said another Fishman. "Does this mean that the island will turn into a battlefield?!"

"But that's impossible!" cried another. "Anyway, this is huge! We gotta get outta here, now!"

Luffy and the Straw Hats seemed confused.

"_I don't get what the big deal is,"_ Blizzard said to Luffy. _"Why are they all in such a panic?"_

"Who knows?" Luffy asked.

"HOHOHO~!"

The figures are revealed to be a giant merman with an orange beard and long, curly orange hair, and his body is hairy all over. His nose is red and he has blue eyes. He has matching black tattoos, which looks a like a spiral with wavy protrusion designs around it, on both arms.

Upon his head is a golden crown that resembles a tulip with pearls embedded in it.

He is the great God of the Sea, King Neptune of Ryugu Kingdom, a Coelacanth Merman, and the whale he's riding on is his pet, Hoe.

"NEEEEEPTUUUUNE~!" Neptune bellowed.

**HOOOOEEEEEE~!** Hoe bellowed.

"Wow," Usopp said. "That is one big merman."

"Personally, I prefer mermaids," said Brook.

_And I thought I was big,_ Blizzard thought.

"Boy, what a hairy old man," Luffy commented.

"Hey, you!" Pappug cried. "Don't be so rude! Get down on your knees and bow, you idiot!"

"Aww, what a cute whale!" Nami said.

Nearby, the Fishmen and Merpeople watched with anticipation and nervousness.

"What does his majesty want with those humans?" asked a Fishman.

Neptune then glanced at a shark that floated up beside him. Not just any shark, though: a shark wearing a Criminal Brand shirt.

"_Hey, Luffy,"_ Blizzard said. _"Isn't that the same shark we saw after you beat Surume?"_

"It looks like it," said Luffy.

"Megalo," Neptune said to the shark. "Are you sure that these are the ones-_jamon_?"

**SHAA! SHAA!** The shark, known as Megalo, nodded.

"I see," said Neptune before he looked at the Straw Hats, who stared back at him.

"What is he gonna do?" asked Camie.

"H-h-how should I know?" Pappug answered, nervously.

A pause came.

"Straw Hat Pirates," Neptune said before he opened his arms widen, "I invite you all…to Ryugu Palace-_jamon_!"

Camie, Pappug, and all the eying civilians gasped in shock and surprise, while the Straw Hats glanced at each other, confused.

"R…RYUGU PALACE?!" Camie and Pappug cried.

"Huh?" the Straw Hats muttered.

XXX

Meanwhile, at the seafloor near the _Noah_ in the Fishman District, the Crab Pirates are making their escape.

"Come on!" Gyro ordered. "Row faster, you morons, before they figure out we're gone!"

"Sorry, boss! It's hard to ride the currents in the Deep Sea!"

"That's why should've modified it into a paddle ship, you dumb-asses!" shouted Gyro. "You know that the New World is-"

"Captain Gyro! Look, up ahead! I…it's Hody Jones!"

Indeed it is. Hody is floating in the water in front of the Crab Pirates' ship, but for some reason, he is handcuffed.

"Dammit! He found us!" Gyro cursed.

"But why is he in handcuffs?!" asked one of the pirates.

"JAHAHAHAHA…" Hody laughed as he held up his handcuffed wrists.

XXX

At the New Fishman Pirates' hideout, Ikaros picked up one of the pills that Hody had ingested.

"We sure got our hands on something real nice," said Ikaros. "Energy Steroids, the Ultimate Power Drug!"

XXX

Back out at sea, the Crab Pirates found themselves under attack by an unseen force.

"Where the hell did that fish-faced bastard go?!" Gyro questioned.

"I don't know!" a pirate answered. "He busted a hole in the ship!"

In the ship's hull, it is revealed that there is a large hole in the metal…made by sharp teeth.

**KABOOOOM!** A huge explosion went off in the middle of the deck.

"There he is!" cried a pirate. "He's somewhere in the ship!"

"Just kill him! He's only one Fishman!" shouted another.

**KREK! KREK!** A pirate looked down upon hearing a crack and saw that the deck at to break apart. **KRASH!** Hody came out from the deck, trapping the pirate in his jaws.

"AAAAAAAH!" the pirate screamed. "HELP! HE'S GOT ME!"

"Captain, what do we do?!"

"Help us!"

"SHUT UP!" Gyro shouted before he drew his katana. "I've dealt with the likes of Fishmen, before! We overcame everything to make it all the way here, and there's no way in hell I'm letting some sardine stop us! PREPARE YOURSELF HODY! RAAAAAAARGH!"

Gyro threw his metallic crab claw at Hody, who opened his massive jaws. **KRUNCH!** A crunching sound if heard, followed by blood spraying in the air, as well as a pain scream as Gyro's claw fell apart.

"THE CAPTAIN HAS LOST!" the pirates cried.

**BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!** One pirate tried to shoot Hody in the back with his pistols, but the bullets didn't even faze him. Instead, the Great White Shark Fishman turned and faced the pirates with a malicious, almost bloodthirsty grin, **CHOMP!** Hody bites down on the ship's mizzenmast, and the pirates gasped in shock and horror.

"Now I understand why he's wearing handcuffs!" one exclaimed. "He's showing us that he can sink our ship WITHOUT USING HIS HANDS!"

XXX

"Fishmen are ten times as strong as humans," said Zeo, holding an Energy Steroid in between his thumb and index finger. "A single dose of these Energy Steroids will enhance that strength, twofold. Taking two pills will double that strength even more! But there's a catch: the price of that increased power is the shortening of our life-spans. Even so…that won't stop us from putting our master plan into action!"

"That's right! KYA-KYA!" Daruma laughed.

"Humans are responsible for Fisher Tiger's demise," Zeo continued. "We will carry on Arlong's will! The Dark and pitiful history of the Fishmen will end with our generation! We, the New Fishman Pirates, will make that happen, no matter what it takes!"

XXX

Back out at sea, Hody had pulled out the ship's mizzenmast, surprisingly not bursting the coating.

"W-what is he trying to do, now?!"

**WHOOSH! KRASH! KABOOM!** Hody threw the mizzenmast right at the ship, causing the artillery to be destroyed and nearly killing half the crew! Not only that, but the coating would've burst, completely, had Hody not put a bubble around it.

Still, the crew is bloody, bruised, and beaten, and Gyro is left with only half his left arm.

"Float them up into the New World," said Hody to a trio of witnessing Fishmen.

**KLINK!** He broke apart his handcuffs.

"Yes, boss!" the first Fishman answered.

"Jeez, boss!" said the second. "You didn't kill them all, right?!"

"JAHAHAHAHA!" Hody laughed. "Of course I didn't. I need those fools alive."

"R-right, boss," the Fishman said. "Of course."

With that, the three underlings swam up to the bubble and began to float it up towards the surface.

"That's right, you damn humans," Hody said. "Let your scarred hearts and bodies be a message to everyone on the surface world! Tell them what you've experienced in the depths of the ocean! Tell them who did it to you! Let the humans fear us all!" He then raised a hand into the water.

"We will take the throne of Fishman Island away from that decrepit old 'Sea God' Neptune!" he exclaimed. "Afterward, we will drag humanity into the darkest depths of the sea! JAHAHAHA…! JAHAHAHAHAHA! JAAAAAHAHAHAHA~!"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Sorry for the late update, everyone! It's my birthday today, so I was at a party at my Grandma's!

Anyway, review please, and be nice!


	10. Brought by the Shark They Saved

**Ch. 10- Brought by the Shark They Saved**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Maxine the Mermaid © Me

* * *

_Flashback; a few hours ago_

At the Mermaid Inlet of Ryugu Kingdom, some mermaids had gathered around the barrel they had found with the Straw Hats. Curious, Ishilly suggested that they open it to see what was inside. Little did they know that they are about to unleash something…sinister.

"It's sealed up, tight!" Ishilly said as she tried to pry the lid open with a crowbar.

"I wonder what could be inside," said one of her friends.

"If it were treasure, it would be in a chest, right?" asked another mermaid. "There must be something even more precious inside. Maybe it's full of expensive liquor!"

"I can barely get it to budge!" Ishilly said.

**KREEK!** As Ishilly pulled off the last metal bar that closed the lid, she suddenly heard a voice…from inside the barrel.

"That's good enough, sweetheart!"

"Huh?!" Ishilly muttered, surprised.

"KIHIHIHIHI! I can get out now!"

"There…there's someone inside?!" questioned Ishilly. "No way!"

**KRAK! KRAK-KRAK! SNAP!** The lid snapped open, and arm came dangling out, and soon, out climbed out Caribou, his body all muddy.

"Thanks a lot, precious!" he said in mock gratitude.

"AAAAAH!" Ishilly and the mermaids screamed.

"Hey now," said Caribou. "I hope you're not trying to run away."

"Quick! Everyone, get to the water!" Ishilly cried.

"Too late!" Caribou shouted.

**PLOP! GLOOP!** Before the mermaids realized, Caribou's whole became one whole muddy trap, and they found themselves caught in the middle of it.

"KIHIHIHIHI!" Caribou laughed. "Thanks for letting me out, my dear little mermaids!"

"What is this?!" Ishilly questioned.

"Is this a swamp?!" asked another mermaid. "What's it in doing in a rocky shore?!"

"That's right, my dears," Caribou said. "This IS a swamp! A muddy, bottomless swamp! I'm a Devil Fruit user, you know! I ate the Swamp-Swamp Fruit! That makes me a swamp-man! The more you try to struggle, the faster you'll sink! Now keep your mouths shut! Don't you worry your sweet heads about a thing! I wouldn't DREAM of killing you!"

"HELP!" Ishilly screamed. "SOMEBODY, HEL- MMMMPH!"

**GLOOP!** Caribou covered Ishilly's mouth with mud.

"Ah-ah-ah!" he said. "I said to keep your mouth shut, didn't I? Calling for help is useless!"

"Ishilly, no!" cried one of the mermaids.

"Now, why don't you all just go to sleep for a bit?" Caribou asked.

**SHLUK! GLUP! GLUP!** Soon, the mermaids within Caribou's swamp…and didn't emerge.

A moment later, Caribou returned to his human form and is now sitting on some coral.

"KIHIHIHIHI!" he cackled. "My body is bottomless! Hmm…now, how much are these mermaids worth, again? I believe they sell at auctions for 70,000,000 Berries each, and I have three of them!" He then stood up and began to walk away.

"I really should thank the Straw Hats," he said. "After all, if it weren't for them, I wouldn't have made it to Fishman Island without even going through the customs! Now I can capture all the mermaids I want! This place is an absolute goldmine! KIHIHIHIHI~!"

_Flashback end_

In Coral Hill's Port Town in Ryugu Kingdom, Maxine was just on her way back home when she and a friend of hers spotted the Ammo Knights nearby. Maxine's friend seemed worried about something, so she asked the princes for help, but it wasn't what she had expected.

"The Straw Hat Pirates?!" asked one of the Ammo Knights. "They were ones who kidnapped your friends?!"

"N-no, I didn't say that!" said a mermaid. "They're really good people! Honest! I mean, after all, they are Camie's friends!"

"She's right!" agreed Maxine. "And their dog is Moon's big brother! If that much is true, they can't possibly be like all those bad pirates!"

"I'm afraid you're giving them too much credit," another Ammo Knight said. "Pirates can be tricky, you know. They could be holding your friends hostage and threatening them."

"Anyway," said another one of the Ammo Knights, holding up the Straw Hats' wanted posters, "this is what we know, so far. Those who were there us, the security force, the mermaids, some fighters from the Fishman District, and the Straw Hat Pirates!"

"Humans have a very good reason for kidnapping young mermaids like you," said another Ammo Knight. "They're worth a fortune in the surface world!"

"That doesn't mean that every human should be under suspicion!" Maxine retorted.

"Have you forgotten how many pirates act friendly and then turn around and kidnap mermaids?" asked one more Ammo Knight. "After all, Maxine, you were almost kidnapped by one a few years ago! You were lucky that Prince Fukaboshi saved you!"

Maxine gulped and looked down.

Nearby, at the Mermaid Café, the Neptune Princes are there, asking Sharley for further information.

"Madam Sharley," said Fukaboshi, "did you really see the vision you mentioned earlier? Will the Straw Hats really destroy Fishman Island?!"

Maxine approached Sharley with a glass of water.

"Here, Madam," she said. "Have a drink to calm yourself."

"Thank you, Maxine," Sharley said as she gratefully took the glass and guzzled it down.

"Well, Madam Sharley?" asked Fukaboshi.

"Y-yes," Sharley replied. "I did indeed see it. There's no doubt in my mind."

"Madam Sharley," Fukaboshi began, "your ability to foresee the future is very well known, even at Ryugu Palace! This is very troubling news. I had intended to honor the Straw Hats for saving my younger sister's pet, but the future is a very uncertain thing. Still…I cannot allow them to run loose on the island! We must take precautions with them, at once!"

Maxine furrowed her eyebrows and floated away on her little bubble. She didn't like hearing all this talk about the Straw Hats.

"This is all just a bunch of nonsense," she thought aloud. "Sure, they're pirates, but that doesn't really make them bad! I mean…Moon trusts them, especially since her big brother was with them! This just isn't right. If only the queen were here. She wouldn't let anyone talk about those guys that way, not even her sons!"

She sighed as she turned and floated into an alleyway.

"Then again, maybe I'm wrong," she said to herself. "Joe did say that sometimes, I judge someone too soon. Maybe they are bad pirates, after all."

Suddenly, **GLOOP!** Maxine looked down and saw what looked like a glob of mud on the ground.

"Mud?" Maxine questioned. "How did that get there?"

"KIHIHIHIHI…"

Maxine gasped before she raised her head up and spotted Caribou, licking his grinning lips in a sick manner.

"Well, well," said Caribou. "What are you doing all the way out here by yourself, little lady?"

Maxine gasped before she turned to try and float away, but then, a wall of mud appeared from the ground, forming Caribou's face.

"Where do you think you're going?!" he asked. "KIHIHIHIHI!"

A pause, but soon, a shrill scream of terror filled the air. The Princes, some mermaids, Madam Sharley, and the Ammo Knights appeared at the scene, but by the time they arrived…Maxine, as well as her captor, was gone.

"That tears it," Fukaboshi said. "Send word to the palace! Have the Straw Hat Pirates found and captured, at once!"

"Yes, sir!" the Ammo Knights exclaimed.

XXX

At Gyoverly Hills in the Ryugu Kingdom, the crowd that had gathered to see King Neptune and the Straw Hats are now chattering amongst themselves.

"They're gone," said a Fishman.

"I just can't believe it!" said another. "King Neptune personally came to invite those pirates to Ryugu Palace!"

Up in the sky, it is revealed that Neptune is now flying on Hoe with the Straw Hats, who sat on the back of Megalo.

"HOHOHO! Hold on tight-_jamon_!" Neptune called to the Straw Hats. "Neeeptuuune!"

**HOOOOOOOOEE~!** Hoe roared.

**SHAA! SHAA!** Megalo hissed.

"_Jamon, jamon, jamon, jamon,_ NEEEEEEPTUUUUNE~!" Neptune sang.

"What's with the stupid chant, old guy?" Luffy asked.

"Stop with the rude stuff, Straw Hat!" Pappug barked. "You're scaring me!"

"_Yeah, Luffy!"_ Blizzard agreed. _"He's the king, for crying out loud! Mind your manners!"_

"What are manners?" Luffy asked as he picked his nose.

**Burp!** He let out a small but noisy belch.

"_You know what? Why do I bother?"_ Blizzard asked.

"HOHOHO!" Neptune chortled. "That shark you're riding on is Megalo, my daughter's precious pet shark! Poor dear, cried her little eyes out while he was away! You Straw Hats have my gratitude for saving him after he had that run-in with the Kraken-_jamon_!"

**SHAA! SHAA!** Megalo hissed happily, and Luffy just laughed.

"That was just a coincidence," he said, "but I'm glad it worked out in the end!"

"So that's the Mermaid Princess's pet, huh?" Pappug asked. "I was kinda expecting something a bit cuter."

"I thought you said that you were on very good terms with the princess, Mister Pappug," Brook said.

"SHHHH~!" Pappug shushed.

"Have you been lying the whole time?" Brook asked.

"I said to keep it down!" Pappug whispered…rather loudly.

"I-is is all right if I go to Ryugu Palace, too?" asked Camie.

"He did say we could bring friends," Usopp said. "So, yeah! I guess so!"

"HOHOHO!" Neptune laughed. "I actually sent my three sons to go fetch you all, but since they took so long getting back, I decided to do it myself-_jamon_."

"Hey, is there gonna be food where we're going?" Luffy asked.

"Oh, yes!" King Neptune replied. "We'll be throwing a feast for you, in honor of saving Megalo-_jamon_!"

"A banquet?!" Luffy asked as drool began to form around his lips. "Oh, boy! I bet there's gonna be lots of meat there!"

"Oh, yes indeed!" Neptune replied, also drooling. "I can hardly wait, either-_jamon_!"

"Hey!" Nami shouted. "Wipe that drool off your faces!"

"EEP! Y-yes, Nami!" Luffy said as he began to wipe his drool off his mouth with his sleeve.

"Err, sorry about that," Neptune said as he wiped off the saliva from his beard. "Oh! And another thing! One of your friends is already at the palace-_jamon_!"

"What?" Nami asked.

"And he already started to drinking the sake that was there, too-_jamon_," Neptune replied. "I told him that a banquet is more fun with friends, but he just went and started drinking, anyway-_jamon_."

_Oh, boy,_ Blizzard thought in disbelief. _Sounds like Zoro._

"It's Zoro," Usopp muttered.

"Definitely Zoro," Nami agreed under her breath.

"I believe his name is…Zori!" Neptune said.

"HIS NAME IS ZORO!" Usopp and Nami shouted in unison, but nearly fell of Megalo's back as they did.

"Whoa! You guys okay?!" Luffy called.

"Yeah!" Nami answered.

"We're good!" Usopp answered.

"My men are still looking for the rest of your crew," Neptune said, "but don't fret. They'll be at the palace very soon-_jamon_!"

"By the way, Nami," Luffy said. "Where are the others, anyway?"

"Well, Franky said that he wanted to go and look for relative of some guy named 'Tom'," Nami answered, "and Robin went off to go find some historical thing. You know how she is."

_That Robin, always mysterious,_ Blizzard thought.

"So, what have you guys been up to?" Nami asked.

"Uh…we'll fill you in later," Luffy answered.

"By the way, Gramps," Nami said.

"IT'S KING NEPTUNE!"

**CHOMP!** Pappug bit down on Nami's head, and the navigator didn't seem to feel it, but Luffy, Usopp, Blizzard, and Brook immediately froze.

"Dude," Luffy said. "Bad move. REAL bad!"

XXX

A moment later, Pappug found himself lying on Megalo's back, covered in lumps and bruises, courtesy of the fiery-tempered Nami.

"As I was saying," Nami said, "how can it be so bright and sunny down here on Fishman Island when we're 30,000 ft below sea level?"

"HOHOHO!" Neptune laughed. "It's not bright because we're here, young lady. This is the only place in the world where light reaches the ocean floor, which is why the ancient ancestors of the Fishmen decided to live here. That is the secret of Fishman Island! You see, the roots of the Giant Sun Tree of Eve reach this place and bright the light from the surface down to us-_jamon_."

"Sun Tree?" Nami repeated. "You mean there's a tree that can transfer light 30,000 ft underwater?!"

"That's right," Neptune answered. "The scientists have some complicated theories about it, but, in essence, it is a mystical tree that emits light from the surface. Not only that, but its roots breathe, which allows us to get air from the surface as well-_jamon_!"

"So what you're saying is that it's like a bigger version of the Yarukiman Mangrove trees on the Sabaody Archipelago, right?" Usopp inquired.

"That's right," Neptune replied. "When the sun shines on the surface, the seafloor is illuminated as well. When night falls there, it grows dark here, too. Thus, we are able to enjoy the blessings of the sun, even in the darkest depths of the sea!"

"The Sun Tree Eve…" Nami mused.

_Wow,_ Blizzard thought. _It sounds amazing! Then again, anything's possible in the Grand Line!_

"Ooh!" Usopp chirped as he wrote down in a notebook. "Maybe it has some sort of connection with the Treasure Tree Adam that _Sunny_ is made from! I better tell Franky about this when we see him, again!"

**GRRRRUUUUUMBLE!** Luffy's stomach growled.

"Hey, hairy old guy!" he shouted. "I'm hungry!"

"HEY, YOU!" Pappug shouted.

"HOHOHO!" Neptune laughed. "Don't worry! We're almost at the palace! Look! There's the entrance right there-_jamon_!"

Neptune and the Straw Hats soon reached a giant bubble. Not one as gigantic as the bubble surrounding the island, but still very humungous. The Straw Hats soon noticed some sort of hole up above.

**KLIK! DING-DONG!** Neptune pressed a button, and a bell rang.

"**Yes?"** said a voice on the intercom.

"It is I-_jamon_," Neptune answered.

"**Oh! Your Highness, you're home! H-hang on! I'll open the passageway, right away!"**

**SHWOO!** Soon, a Water Road appeared and connected to the entrance.

"Here, take these," Neptune said as he held out two pieces of coral. "It's called Bubbly Coral-_jamon_. Just press on the top!"

Nami and Camie grabbed the coral and then pressed the top.

**FWOOOP!** Two bubbles appeared, surrounding the Straw Hats as well as Camie and Pappug.

"Cool!" Luffy said.

"Are we ready-_jamon_?" Neptune asked

"Uh, hang on!" Nami called. "I need to talk my friends before we go in!"

"If you insist-_jamon_," Neptune said.

Nami then turned to the male Straw Hats, who all froze up upon seeing her stern, angry glare.

"All right, listen up," Nami said. "You boys had better be on your best behavior! Do I make myself clear?!"

"Yes, ma'am!" the boys replied.

"And Luffy, that ESPECIALLY goes for you!" Nami snarled.

**Gulp!** Luffy swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Y-y-yes, Sweet Tangerine," he said.

"Good," Nami said, wearing a pleased smile. "Okay, Neptune! We can go in, now!"

"_Uh, Luffy?"_ Blizzard asked. _"Remind me, why do you love Nami, yet fear her at the same time?"_

"…love is blind, Blizzard," Luffy answered.

And so, Neptune and the Straw Hats entered the Water Road, letting the current carry them straight up into the palace.

"Neeeeptuuuune!" Neptune called.

"I can't wait to see the palace!" Camie exclaimed.

"If word gets out that I came here, my popularity will go through the roof!" Pappug said under his breath.

Soon, the group emerged from the Water Road and came upon a enormous coral palace with a twisting, turning dragon statue on the top.

"WOW~!" Luffy cried.

_Well, I'll be damned…!_ Blizzard thought in amazement. _I've seen some pretty amazing stuff here in the Grand Line, but this…this just beats all by far!_

"Welcome, Straw Hats!" Neptune cried. "Welcome to Ryugu Palace-_jamon_!"

"It's huge!" Luffy cried.

"This palace makes Mister Pappug's mansion look like a dog house!" Brook exclaimed.

"Don't compare my place to the palace!" Pappug barked.

"Holy crap!" Usopp said. "It's incredible!"

"It's beautiful!" Nami added.

Camie just stood in silence.

"Open the gates! King Neptune is home!"

"King Neptune has returned!"

"What?! Where did he go?!"

**RRRRRRMMB!** The palace gates opened, and the group soon entered a huge corridor, lined with guards at both sides. Good thing the Straw Hats are in bubbles, for the whole palace is filled with water.

"Feel free to make yourselves at home, Straw Hats-_jamon_!" Neptune exclaimed.

"Thanks," Nami said.

_It's gonna be pretty hard, since this place is filled with water,_ Blizzard thought.

"THERE YOU ARE!"

Neptune suddenly flinched upon hearing that voice, and turned to face two mermen.

The first is a seahorse merman, having ridges along his back and the sides of his face, as well as a curly orange tail on like a seahorse, unlike most mermen that had fish tails. His mouth is funnel shaped, like a regular seahorse's, too.

He wears a dark blue jacket with two circles and a band on each sleeve, which are very large at the end. Strapped to his left hip is a katana, and in his hand is a trishula-like trident.

He is the Minister of the Right.

The second is a short and rather rotund catfish merman with light blond waist-length hair. He has a long beard and, just like a regular fish, has two whiskers on his face for a mustache.

He wears on a monocle on his left eye and an oversized top hat, as well as a purple robe of some kind, and in his hand is a wooden cane with decorative horns on the top.

He is the Minister of the Left.

"Honestly, I can't even BEGIN to describe the irrationality of what you did!" the Minister of the Right barked. "How could you even THINK of behaving like this without a second thought for you position?!"

"Oh, brother," the Minister of the Left said.

"You left the castle without even telling anyone, AGAIN!" the Minister of the Right shouted. "Going to the lower levels of the island without any of your guards is simply and utterly IRRESPONSIBLE! If anything were to happen it would be too late! Don't you understand the state our nation is in right now?!"

"Yes, yes," Neptune said, slumping. "I'll be more careful, next time-_jamon_."

"He's getting scolded," Nami said.

"Is that how a king is supposed to act?" Brook asked.

"And I thought Nami yelled a lot," Usopp said.

"And just what is THAT supposed to mean?!" Nami questioned.

"Err, nothing!" Usopp answered, nervously. "Nothing at all!"

**GRRRRUUUUUMMMBLE!** Luffy looked down at his grumbling tummy, again, and he whimpered.

"Hey!" Luffy called. "When are we gonna have that banquet?! I'm dying over here!"

"Luffy, be quiet!" Nami chastised.

"But Nami~!" Luffy whined.

"No buts!" Nami remarked. "I told you to be on your best behavior, and so far, you're doing a pretty bad job, so no whining or else you don't get to eat, understand?"

Luffy opened his mouth to argue, but he decided against it. However, this didn't quiet the roaring in his belly. In fact, it seemed to encourage it, for it started growling louder.

"Ugh…" Luffy groaned, but he tried his hardest not to whine about his gnawing hunger. "I gotta eat something, quick!"

Just then, Luffy's nose seemed to pick up the scent of something. Something delicious.

Unable to ignore the smell, Luffy followed his nose and left, but little did he know that Blizzard had noticed.

"_Huh?"_ Blizzard questioned. _"Hey! Luffy, wait a minute! Come back! Where are you going?!"_

Knowing fully well how much Luffy would get into trouble whenever he was on his own, the wolf-dog followed the Straw Hat Captain, leaving the others behind.

"Oh, by the way! Look here!" Neptune said as he pointed to the Straw Hats. "I found the people who saved Megalo after he got into a nasty scrape with the Kraken! We must provide a banquet for our guests, immediately! And where is my darling princess? How is Princess Shirahoshi doing?"

"About the Princess, Your Majesty," said the Minister of the Left before he whispered something in his ear.

"WHAAAAAAAAT?!" Neptune boomed, angrily. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT HAPPENED, AGAIN?!"

"It was while you were gone, Your Highness," said the Minister of the Left.

"THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON'T GUARD THE PRINCESS PROPERLY AND KEEP HER REASSURED THAT SHE WILL BE SAFE, YOU FOOLS!" shouted Neptune.

"YOU'RE ONE TO TALK!" the Minister of the Right chastised. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN YOU DISAPPEAR, YOU MAKE IT HARDERD FOR US TO DO OUR JOBS OF PROTECTING HER!"

"Oh brother," the Minister of the Left said.

"I-I'll be more careful next time," Neptune said, glumly. "I promise-_jamon_."

"And he's getting chewed out, again," Nami said.

"Besides, Your Majesty," said the Minister of the Right, "this is a bit unfortunate since you brought the guests here yourselves, but I'm afraid I have important news!"

"Yes, Your Majesty," said the Minister of the Left. "We just received word from Prince Fukaboshi. Oh, brother!"

"Hmm?" Neptune hummed, inquisitively. "What about Fukaboshi?"

"Well…" the Minister of the Right began.

At that moment, Nami noticed that Luffy and Blizzard are missing from the group.

"Uh…where are Luffy and Blizzard?" Nami asked.

"They were right behind me," said Usopp.

"Ugh," Nami groaned. "I told him to be on his best behavior, but then again, with Luffy, that's too much ask, isn't it?! At least Blizzard is with him. Hopefully, he can keep him out of trouble…for a short time."

"What is Straw Hat thinking, running around in this divine sanctuary?!" Pappug questioned.

"I can't wait for them to bring on the banquet," Brook said. "I'm so hungry, my stomach is growling…but I have no stomach! YOHOHOHOHO!"

XXX

Meanwhile, Luffy managed to reach a part of the palace that had no water. He flared up his nostrils and sniffed the air.

"I knew it," he said. "There's definitely food around here, and it's coming from that way!"

He walked down the corridor, right passed a guard who is pushing an empty cart, but he didn't seem to noticed the straw hat-wearing pirate walking casually by.

Soon, Luffy came up on a huge steel-framed door, littered with all sorts of weapons, like swords, axes, and maces.

"The food smell disappeared behind this door," Luffy said. "Maybe this is the banquet hall! The hairy old guy said that Zoro was already here! Maybe he's waiting inside! But the door is huge and thick and strong! The wall around it must be thick, too! It's kinda like Impel Down! There's gotta be all kinds of food behind that door!"

Suddenly, Luffy froze up and looked back.

"Okay," he said. "I think someone's gonna try and grab me from behind."

**WHAP!** A white paw grabbed Luffy's shoulder, but then, **WHUP! BAM!** Luffy grabbed whoever grabbed him by the arm and then threw him over his shoulder…only to find that it is Blizzard.

"_Dammit, Luffy,"_ Blizzard cursed.

"Blizzard!" Luffy exclaimed. "Sorry, buddy! What are you doing here? You come to find out what that smell is, too?"

"_No, Luffy, I'm not!"_ Blizzard answered as he got to his feet. _"I'm here to take you back to the others! Now let's go! Nami's bound to notice, sooner or later, so we better go now before she decides to come look for us, and then we'll be in big time trouble!"_

"But I gotta open this door, first," Luffy said. "It might be the door to the banquet hall!"

"_Luffy, this door looks like anything but the door to a banquet hall,"_ Blizzard retorted. _"In fact, it looks more like they're trying to keep someone or something out of this room, and to be frank, I don't blame them." _He then turned to walk away.

"_Maybe this whole banquet thing is a trap,"_ he said,_ "and they're trying capture us. After all, those princes said that we entered the island illegally. Now I suggest we go back, get the others, leave the palace, find the ship, and then scram before we give them the chance-"_

**KRREEEEK!** Blizzard turned and saw Luffy pulling the door open.

"_Luffy!"_ he snapped.

"Look, I'm just gonna take a quick look inside!" Luffy said. "If I don't see any food, then we can go, okay? Does that make you feel better?"

Blizzard just huffed as Luffy entered the room, only to find that the whole place is dark.

"It's pitch black in here," Luffy mused.

"_Oh, well, no food,"_ Blizzard said. _"We might as well leave, right? Now let's go!"_

"Wait!" Luffy called. "There's some food right there! It's huge!"

Across the room, there are giant plates of food: calamari, caviar, rice, spaghetti, fruit, and giant loaves of bread.

"_This doesn't look like any banquet hall to me, Luffy,"_ said Blizzard.

"Maybe it's the storage room?" Luffy asked.

"_If that's the case, we should leave now more than ever,"_ Blizzard replied. _"No way are they gonna let us eat outta their palace storage room!"_

**GUUUUUURRRRGLE!** Luffy's stomach roared again.

"I'm sure they won't mind if I have a little," he said. "I'm starving!"

With that, Luffy ran inside, leaving Blizzard to groan at his master's behavior.

_Oh, my head,_ the wolf-dog thought.

As Luffy made his way to the food, **BOING! BOING!** He suddenly stepped on something soft, squishy, and rather bouncy.

"Hey, what's this?" Luffy asked. "This feels too soft to be coral."

"Ngh…!"

"Huh?" Luffy muttered upon hearing that soft moan, and then turned to look at Blizzard. "You say something, buddy?"

"_No,"_ Blizzard replied.

"Hmm," Luffy said. "Must've been my tummy grumbling, again."

"_Luffy, just forget your 'tummy' and let's go!"_ Blizzard said. _"Seriously, I don't care if you're hungry! You're gonna get us both in trouble!"_

Luffy didn't listen. Instead, he just climbed up on the soft bouncy coral and began to jump and down on it. **BOING! BOING!**

"Wahoo!" Luffy cheered. "This is fun! This coral is like pudding!"

Blizzard just sighed, but then he spotted something in the darkness. It appeared to be…a pink-and-red-striped…fish tail?

_A tail?_ Blizzard thought questioningly, but then he gasped in realization.

"_Luffy!"_ he called. _"We gotta get outta here, right now, or-" _

"Huh? Is somebody there?!"

**FWASH!** The bright lights of a chandelier flashed on, momentarily blinding Luffy and Blizzard. **WOING!** Luffy ended up falling off…a pair of giant breasts, and landed safely on a mattress. Upon looking up, the two Straw Hats are soon met with an unbelievable sight: a gigantic mermaid, at least 55 ft in height, even bigger than Neptune himself. She has long, strawberry-blonde hair with a fish-shaped hair-grip. Her bosom is quite large, and most of her upper body is exposed. Her broadly striped tail ends in a ruffle around her waist, and her cheeks are a faint pink.

She wears a cleavage-bearing yellow halter top covered in pearls with a strap that widens and sticks out at the back of her neck. She also wears a pair of clam earring and a belly chain around her waist with a cloth hanging down in front.

She is Shirahoshi, a Giant Smelt Mermaid and the one and only Mermaid Princess.

"W-who are you?!" Shirahoshi asked with teary eyes. "Why are you stepping on me?! Unh…uh…!"

"Whoa!" Luffy cried. "That's one big lady! I mean, one big mermaid!"

_Oh, man,_ Blizzard thought. _We're in for it, now!_

"H…have you and that wolf of yours come to kill me, too?!" Shirahoshi questioned Luffy, trying to look angry in spite of her tears. "I-I'll have you know that I'm not scared of you! I'm the daughter of King Neptune! I-I'm not scared of anyone!"

**PLIP! PLIP!** Shirahoshi's tears fell from her eyes, and they were so huge, Luffy and Blizzard had to try and dodge them.

Before long, Shirahoshi began to sob, wail, and scream so loud, that anyone in the palace could've heard her.

"WAAAAAAAAAHH!" Shirahoshi sobbed. "FATHER! BROTHERS! GUARDS! HEEEEEEEEEELP!"

"Oh, COME ON!" Luffy shouted. "Gimme a break! I wasn't even bothering you! WHAT DID I DO?!"

Blizzard just moaned and put his paw over his eyes.

_This is gonna be a long, long, LONG day!_ he thought.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

A wild Shirahoshi appeared! XD (Forgive the Pokemon reference.)

Review, please, and be nice!


	11. The Mermaid Princess of Hard Shell Tower

**Ch. 11- The Mermaid Princess of Hard Shell Tower**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard © Me

* * *

Somewhere in the Deep Sea, Wadatsumi is pulling the _Flying Dutchman_ behind him through the water.

"WADATSUMI!" shouted the familiar voice of Vander Decken. "Did I get an answer to my letter to Princess Shirahoshi, yet?!"

"Not yet, Captain Vander Decken, sir," Wadatsumi answered.

"How many have I waited for her answer?!" Decken asked.

"Uh…about ten years, I think," Wadatsumi replied. "Maybe it'll come soon. Who knows?"

"It's all that damn detestable Neptune's fault!" shouted Vander Decken. "He's planning to marry the princess of for political reasons! I think. Why else would he imprison her in the Hard Shell Tower for ten years?! I can't bear it anymore! We're truly, deeply in love! I think."

He suddenly pulled up a huge double-bladed axe with a rose insignia in the middle.

"It's time I send her another axe!" Decken shouted.

**WHOOSH!** He threw the axe away, but as it had been tossed, it suddenly changed direction and then, **CHONK!** It hit the mizzenmast of the ship!

"WAAH!" the crew aboard cried. "It came back the other way!"

"Captain, you missed it completely!" said another crew member.

"Nonsense!" Vander Decken shouted. "I never miss my mark! I think. BAHOHOHOHO!"

Vander Decken, or rather, Vander Decken IX is revealed to be a Bull Shark Fishman, a rather tall individual with beige-colored skin, slim build, and lanky limbs. His most distinguishing feature, however, is his four legs. He has a short, scraggy goatee, a long, wavy, black mustache with spiky edges, and the same thing could be said about his hair. Like most shark Fishmen, Vander Decken also has sharp teeth, but the webs between his fingers are bigger than most Fishmen, a very thin, pointy nose, and a prominent hunch that puts his head on equal level with his shoulders.

His attire consists of three golden bands on each of his ankles, and two pairs of sandals; one sandal for each foot. He sports green overalls that reach just below his knees with ruffled edges and decorative buttons on both the straps over a light green colored shirt, also with ruffled edges. Draped over his shoulders is a yellow cape, also with ruffled edges, and around his neck are two massive beaded necklaces. He wears a yellow fedora with a purple band.

"Princess Shirahoshi," Decken said. "In all the time I've wandered this vast seafloor, I've never seen a woman as big and as beautiful as you, my dear! We're soul mates, destined to be together! You will never live with any other man but me! If you do, you'll die! Swear your love to me, or you die! Your life can only consist of either marriage or DEATH! BAHOHOHOHO~!"

XXX

Meanwhile, at Ryugu Palace, the whole place is filled with the sounds of Princess Shirahoshi's wails.

"It's coming from Hard Shell Tower!"

"That sounds like Princess Shirahoshi!"

"What happened to the tower security?!"

"Why isn't anyone by her side?!"

"I'm sorry! There was a mix-up with the guards' shift and-"

"Never mind! We have to reach her before it's too late!"

In the Hard Shell Tower, Princess Shirahoshi is crying her eyes out, sobbing loudly, and Luffy and Blizzard tried in vain to calm her down.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" she screamed. "FATHER~! FUKABOSHI~! RYUBOSHI~! MANBOSHI~!"

"Stop crying already!" Luffy shouted. "I'm just a hungry pirate looking for food!"

Blizzard covered his ears with his paws, trying to block out the sound, but his ears were just too sensitive to the sobs.

"_LUFFY, DO SOMETHING!"_ Blizzard yelled. _"SHE'S TOO LOUD!"_

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Luffy yelled with his ears covered. "I CAN'T HEAR YOU! SHE'S TOO LOUD!"

"THERE'S A HUMAN AND A WOLF IN MY ROOM~!" Shirahoshi cried. "THEY'RE TRYING TO KILL ME!"

"CALM DOWN!" Luffy shouted. "I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS YOUR FOOD, OKAY?!"

Suddenly, Luffy gasped and looked behind himself, and Blizzard noticed this, too.

"_What's wrong, Luffy?"_ he asked.

"INCOMING!" Luffy shouted.

**WOOSH!** It is revealed to be a giant axe: the one Decken had thrown earlier…and it was headed right for Shirahoshi!

Shirahoshi stopped crying and gasped in shock. Just when the axe was about to hit, **WHANG!** Luffy suddenly leaped up and grabbed the axe in midair!

"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Luffy roared before **SWAK!** He threw the axe away, right into a wall. **CHUNK!**

Shirahoshi gasped in surprise. This human just saved her life.

"Where the hell did that axe come from?!" Luffy questioned.

"_I don't know, but I don't wanna find out!"_ Blizzard answered. _"Let's get outta here before-"_

"Princess Shirahoshi! We're coming!"

"Look! The door is open! What happened?!"

_Ah, crap!_ Blizzard thought.

"Quickly!" Shirahoshi said to the two Straw Hats. "Hide behind me! Hurry!"

"Huh?" Luffy muttered.

**CHOMP!** Blizzard bit down on the back of Luffy's cardigan and pulled him away behind Shirahoshi.

"Hey! Blizzard what are you- MMMPH!" Luffy shouted before Blizzard placed a paw over his mouth.

"_Quiet!"_ the wolf-dog whispered.

At that moment, the Minister of the Right, followed by several guards, entered the room.

"Princess!" cried the Minister of the Right. "Are you all right?! You're not hurt, are you?!"

"Huh?" Shirahoshi muttered. "Oh! Oh, no! I'm fine!"

"We heard you screaming, louder than usual, from your room," the Minister of the Right said. "Who opened the door?! Is there an intruder in here?!"

"Uh…" Shirahoshi mumbled.

Blizzard and Luffy looked around the corner of Shirahoshi's tail, but not far enough so that the guards could see them.

"I-I'm sorry for worrying you, everyone," Shirahoshi said, "but…everything's just fine! I just…had a bad dream, that's all. My stomach made an odd noise."

"Oh," said the Minister of the Right. "I could've sworn I heard another voice in here. In any case, I'm glad that you're safe, Princess."

Suddenly, a shadowy figure entered the room.

"Huh?!" a guard muttered. "Who goes there?!"

**POINK!** He slightly stabbed the intruder with his trident, only to find that it is none other than Megalo.

"Oh!" Shirahoshi gasped in joy. "Megalo! You're safe!"

**SHAA! SHAA!** The shark happily floated to Shirahoshi and nuzzled her affectionately, and the Mermaid Princess hugged him back.

"I was so worried about you!" she said. "I'm so glad you're home, Megalo!"

**SHAA! SHAA!** Megalo barked.

"Oh, yes, Princess," said the Minister of the Right. "There's something I must tell you. It regards the pirate, Straw Hat Luffy, who saved Megalo. It seems that there's a bit of a situation."

"_Are they talking about us?"_ Blizzard asked, softly.

"Sounds like it," Luffy whispered.

"You see, Princess," said the Minister of the Right, "he and his crew are suspected of kidnapping mermaids, and, according to Madam Sharley, it is said that he will bring ruin to the kingdom."

"O-oh dear," Shirahoshi stammered. "You don't say."

Just then, Megalo spotted Luffy and Blizzard standing behind Shirahoshi and tried to tell the guards, but Shirahoshi quickly shushed him.

"It has been decided that the Straw Hats must be imprisoned in the palace dungeons," said the Minister of the Right. "The swordsman, Roronoa Zoro, who came to the palace before the others has already been captured, and it won't be long until we've captured the other three!"

Luffy and Blizzard glanced at each other.

"But the captain and his dog must've suspected," the Minister of the Right began, "because they've both disappeared! We believe that they're hiding, somewhere inside the palace, so please be wary!"

"Y-yes," Shirahoshi answered.

"We'll capture the other Straw Hats as we find them," said the Minister of the Right. "Fear not. We will protect the kingdom, no matter the cost! I'm very sorry, but we'll have to cancel the banquet for the people who saved Megalo-"

**RRRUUUUUUUUMMBLE!** A rumbling noise is heard, and Shirahoshi gasped.

"_Seriously, Luffy?!"_ Blizzard asked, his voice still hushed. _"How can you think about food at a time like this?!"_

"I can't help it!" Luffy whispered back, his arms wrapped around his growling stomach.

"What was that noise?" asked the Minister of the Right.

"Oh! It's nothing!" Shirahoshi answered. "I-it was probably just my stomach again."

"Oh," said the Minister of the Right before he looked down at a pocket watch.

"Oh, dear!" he said. "It looks like our five minutes are up! Excuse us, Princess. We'll be going now."

With that, the guards left, and Luffy and Blizzard emerged from their hiding place.

"_Luffy,"_ Blizzard said. _"They said they're gonna try and capture the others. What do you think we should do? Are you worried about Nami? You wanna go look for her, first?"_

"Nah," Luffy said. "Nami's not the wimp she used to be, two years ago. I've seen what she can do, now. She can handle herself for a while. Besides, Usopp and Brook are with her."

"_That's kind of what I'm afraid of,"_ Blizzard muttered.

"Excuse me."

The two Straw Hats looked up at Shirahoshi, who smiled softly at them and held out her hand. Luffy smiled back and climbed on, and Blizzard followed behind.

"I'm very sorry for worrying you," said Shirahoshi as she lifted the two pirates up to her face. "Thank you so much for saving my life. I didn't know that you were the ones who saved Megalo!"

"Don't worry about it," Luffy replied as he pet Megalo on the snout.

"They said your name is Luffy, correct?" Shirahoshi asked.

"Yup," Luffy replied before he turned and pet Blizzard on the side of his neck. "And this here's my best friend, Blizzard."

Blizzard wagged his tail and gently licked Shirahoshi's thumb, which made her giggle.

"That tickles," she said.

Blizzard looked up at Shirahoshi and smiled.

"You don't mind if I call you two Master Luffy and Master Blizzard, do you?" asked Shirahoshi.

"Nah," Luffy replied.

"Master Luffy," Shirahoshi began, "you and Master Blizzard are pirates, aren't you? Doesn't that make you bad people?"

"I dunno," Luffy said. "You can decide that for yourself."

"Now your friends are going to get arrested," Shirahoshi said. "Aren't you worried?"

"Not very much," Luffy answered. "My friends can handle themselves, but never mind that now. What about that axe that came flying in here? Who's strong enough to throw something as big as that?"

"I know who did it," Shirahoshi answered. "His name is Lord Vander Decken. He's trying to kill me because I refuse to marry him. He has the Mark-Mark curse. He is able to hit any target he aims at. That's why it's dangerous for to go outside. I can never leave the Hard Shell Tower-"

**GURRRRRRRGLE!** Shirahoshi is cut off by a gurgling noise and looked down to see Luffy, moaning with one hand on his stomach.

"I'm SO hungry~!" he whined.

**Grumble!** Blizzard's stomach growled, too, just not as loud as Luffy's stomach.

Shirahoshi then looked to the giant plates of food by her bed, and then looked at Luffy with a smile before she moved her hands over to the food, and almost instantly, Luffy felt his old vigor return.

"WHOA!" Luffy cried, eyes twinkling and mouth watering. "This looks yummy! Can I have it?!"

"Eat as much as you like," Shirahoshi said. "I'm not very hungry, anyway."

"WAHOO!" Luffy cheered before he jumped at a giant loaf of broad and began munching on it.

Blizzard decided to help himself to the fish eggs.

"Yummy~!" Luffy exclaimed.

_Not bad,_ Blizzard thought as he ate some fish eggs.

Shirahoshi laughed as she watched the two eat.

"So, let me get this straight," said Luffy as he continued eating. "He wants you to marry him, but he's trying to kill you, too? He's not making any sense!"

"I've been a prisoner in my own room for ten years," said Shirahoshi.

"Ten years?!" Luffy repeated. "Man, you must be bored!"

"On top of that, my Father only lets the guards in here for only five minutes at a time," Shirahoshi said. "I only have Megalo to talk to. He's my best friend in the whole world."

_Sounds like Luffy and me,_ Blizzard thought.

"So that's why they wanted to throw a banquet for us," said Luffy as he ate some oysters. "I guess it's off, now."

**SLUUUURRP!** He started to slurp up some noodles, causing his belly to grow considerably larger.

"You humans may be small," Shirahoshi started, "but you certainly do eat quite a lot for your size."

_Actually, that's just him,_ Blizzard thought as he ate some more fish eggs.

"That hairy old guy said that he was gonna throw us a banquet," said Luffy as he kept eating, "but he kept getting yelled at. I couldn't wait anymore, so I followed the smell of food here. Oh! Didn't they call you 'Princess'?"

"That's right," Shirahoshi answered.

"Does that mean your that Mermaid Princess?" asked Luffy he reached for a giant straw and began to slurp up Shirahoshi's drink.

"Yes," Shirahoshi answered. "I am the daughter of King Neptune, Princess Shirahoshi."

"Shira-what?" Luffy repeated, questioningly.

"Shirahoshi," the princess repeated.

"Oh," Luffy said. "That's kinda hard to pronounce. Ooh! I wanna eat those, too!" He then ran over to some calamari.

Shirahoshi giggled as she watched Luffy continue his gorging.

"I don't think that you're a very bad person," she said. "Say, Master Luffy, if you and Master Blizzard are pirates, does that mean that you two have many adventures?"

"Yep!" Luffy answered.

"Have you ever seen the sun?" asked Shirahoshi. "Have you seen things called flowers and furry little creatures called animals?"

_She should know,_ Blizzard thought. _She's looking at one, right now._

"Have you seen forests full of greenery and-" Shirahoshi continued before she was cut off.

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute!" Luffy cried. "You're asking too many questions at once! Lemme finish eating, first!"

"All right," Shirahoshi said while Luffy continued to eat.

**URRP!** Luffy burped a bit before he kept munching on some noodles.

"_Luffy, come on,"_ Blizzard said. _"Say excuse me when you burp! You're eating in front of a princess, for crying out loud!"_

"Oh, come on," Luffy said. "It's a compliment."

"Oh!" Shirahoshi said. "What big cheeks you have!"

**POKE!** She pushed on Luffy's overstuffed cheeks, causing him to spit out some food.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Luffy shouted. "DON'T TOUCH ME!"

Shirahoshi gasped and shrank back before she began to sob.

"_Luffy, what did you shout at her for?!"_ Blizzard asked, angrily.

"I don't like it when people touch me while I'm eating!" Luffy snapped.

"_That's still no reason to snap at her!"_ Blizzard barked. _"You could've just said, 'Excuse me, but please don't touch me while I'm eating', but no~! You decide to yell at her instead, and look what happened! You made her cry, again!"_

"P…please don't shout at me…!" Shirahoshi whimpered. "You're so scary, Master Luffy. N…no one's ever gotten mad at me, like that, before!"

"Huh?" Luffy muttered. "Hey, what are you crying for? Stop it!"

Shirahoshi continued to sob.

"You're such a big mermaid," Luffy said, "but you're also a big crybaby." He then grinned and began to eat some of the rice.

"I hate people like you!" he said.

Shirahoshi gasped.

"_LUFFY!"_ Blizzard shouted. _"YOU'RE ONLY MAKING IT WORSE!"_

"I'm just saying she needs to toughen up a bit!" Luffy argued.

**SHRUFF!** Shirahoshi then hid under the covers, and only her tail remained visible.

"Those are such horrible words," she said. "No one's ever said those things to me, before. You're so mean! Please go away, Master Luffy! I can't take anymore!"

"_Then again,"_ Blizzard began, _"I guess she is a bit…spoiled."_

"See what I mean?" Luffy asked before he stood up and patted his belly. "Ah~! That was good! I'm stuffed!"

**SHAA! SHAA~!** Megalo barked angrily.

**Grrrr~!** Blizzard growled back at the shark.

_Back off, Sharkey,_ the wolf-dog thought.

"So, you've been stuck in this room for ten years, huh?" Luffy asked. "Anyone would get sick of that, and I ought to know."

"Please leave, Master Luffy," said Shirahoshi.

"Why?" Luffy asked. "Isn't there anywhere you wanna go?"

"Well…there are…some places I'd like to see," Shirahoshi replied, her tail drooping in a sheepish manner.

"In that case," Luffy said, "let's get outta here and go for a walk!"

"What?!" Shirahoshi asked.

"_What?!"_ Blizzard asked.

"Don't worry!" Luffy said. "If anything comes flying at you, I'll just knock it out of the way, like I did with that axe!"

"B…but I…" Shirahoshi stammered.

XXX

Meanwhile, at the front entrance of Ryugu Palace…

"Capture the Straw Hats! There are only three of them!"

"Usopp-chin! Nami-chin! Brook-chin!" Camie cried. "If you resist arrest, then you'll only make it worse for yourselves!"

In the middle of the corridor, it is revealed that Usopp, Nami, and Brook have taken a great many of the palace guards.

"But we didn't do anything, Miss Camie!" Brook said.

"We don't wanna be taken into some dungeon!" Usopp remarked, wearing his goggles over his eyes. "They just made up some lame excuse to get us arrested!"

"You're going to imprison us for something we might do in the future?!" Nami questioned. "That's outrageous!"

"I'll fight you all to your heart's content, if that's you wish," Brook said as he unsheathed his sword.

"There pirates are famous for all the trouble they've caused!" said one of the guards. "Even without their captain, they'll still plenty strong!"

"And I was so looking forward to sampling some of the palace's delicious wine," said Nami

"I don't remember the musician being so reliable!" Pappug commented.

"Stand your ground, men!" ordered the Minister of the Left. "This is only a taste of what's to come! You must capture! Protect Ryugu Kingdom!"

"What?!" Usopp questioned. "We're only fighting because you attacked us! This is nothing compared to those mass attacks of giant bugs on the Bowin Archipelago! Now, behold my new weapon! The Black Kabuto!"

"Your Majesty!" the Minister of the Left called to Neptune. "We need your assistance!"

"Hmm," Neptune hummed. "I don't think it's right to imprison someone just because of some prophecy. I need some time to think about this. Therefore…let us capture you, for now, Straw Hats!"

Neptune raised his might trident, prepared to strike the three Straw Hats.

"Uh-oh," Usopp said. "This isn't good!"

"We're in trouble!" Brook cried. "Where are Mister Luffy and Mister Blizzard when we need them?!"

"Wherever those two are, they better show up soon!" Nami added.

Suddenly, a blur raced by, and then **KLANG!** Neptune's trident was intercepted by none other than…

"Zoro?!" Nami questioned.

"But…I thought he was locked up in the dungeon!" Usopp began.

"What are you doing out here?!" asked Brook.

"I heard you guys having fun," Zoro said with a toothy grin, "so I busted myself out!"

XXX

Meanwhile, in the Fishman District where the _Noah_ is, the Flying Pirates have arrived.

"Wait out here, Wadatsumi!" Decken ordered.

"Yes, captain!" Wadatsumi answered.

"Captain Vander Decken has arrived!"

Soon, the whole place began to cheer, and soon, Decken walked in, but for some reason, his is wearing a bubble around him.

"Right this way, Vander Decken!" said a Fishman as he led Deck to Hody and his gang.

"Sorry I'm late," said Decken. "I got caught up in a little volcanic eruption. So, you are the infamous Hody Jones, eh? I think."

"You and I are both infamous," said Hody, "but you're madness is well known, too, Vander Decken."

Hody then stood up and held out his hand.

"Oh!" Decken said. "Are you looking for a handshake? Hang on a minute!"

**SWUP!** He pulled a red glove on his right hand.

"There we go," said Decken said. "Sorry about that."

"What's with the glove?" asked Hody.

"Don't worry about it, for now," said Decken.

**WHAP!** The two joined hands in a formal handshake, and soon, the whole room was filled with cheers.

"Vander Decken! Vander Decken!"

"Hody Jones! Hody Jones!"

"BAHOHOHOHO!" Decken laughed. "It's nice to finally meet you, Hody Jones!"

"This will benefit us both," said Hody. "Our goals are one and the same! We will crush Neptune's army! They lack the pride of Fishmen and Merpeople! And then, we will take the head of that 'Sea God' Neptune, himself!"

"Now, we are invincible on the seafloor!" Zeo declared.

"Talk about a deadly alliance! KYA-KYA!" Daruma exclaimed.

"And now," Hody began, "we will bring total ruin to Ryugu Kingdom! JAHAHAHAHAHA!"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Review, please!


	12. It's Too Late Now

**Ch. 12- It's Too Late Now**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Joe, Moon © Me

* * *

In the main hall of Ryugu Palace…

"This…is just…TOO MUCH!"

"He's right, you know! Think about what you've done!"

"You started it! We're all accomplices, here, you know!"

"I was only trying to scare them off and look for a chance to run away!"

"And here I am, hoping I'd get to take a tour and go shopping, but once again, fate has conspired against me. Thanks a lot, fate!"

It is revealed that Neptune, as well as many of the guards that had tried to apprehend the Straw Hats, are now tied up, the former locked up in chains, and now, Zoro and Usopp are arguing about the situation while Nami stood holding her head in exasperation.

"Oh, dear," Camie said.

"How could you guys do something like this?!" Pappug questioned in disbelief.

"It's too late, now!" Zoro barked. "What's done is done, so quit your bellyaching!"

"Ow, ow, ow…!" Neptune moaned.

"It doesn't work like that!" Brook shouted. "We dropped by Fishman Island, and now we're occupying the palace?! What kind of pirates are we?!"

"You mean you would've just stood there and let them take you to prison?!" Zoro snapped.

"NO!" Usopp retorted. "I told you, for the thousandth time already, that I was looking for a chance to escape!"

"You don't know how to escape!" Zoro yelled. "And besides, Luffy's not here!"

"Hey, you're right!" Usopp agreed. "Where'd he and Blizzard run off to?!"

"You've got me," Brook said, scratching his afro.

Just then, Nami approached one of the guards, who looked away from her.

"Please!" said Nami. "We're in a hurry, here, so just tell us where!"

"Yeah," Usopp agreed. "Where's our captain and guard dog?"

"Where's the royal treasure chamber?" Nami asked.

"KNOCK THAT OFF!" Usopp shouted.

"Huh?" Nami said with a cute look in her eyes. "But why?"

"DON'T YOU START PULLING OFF THAT FEMININE CHARMS CRAP!" Usopp snapped. "GET YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT!"

"I know!" Brook said as he pulled out his guitar. "Let's sing a song and be merry! What do you say?"

**THRUM! THRUM!** He began to strum on his guitar.

"_**It'll be okay! It'll be okay~!**_

_**And even if it's not okay,**_

_**You're gonna die anyway!**_

_**Oh, yeah!"**_

"THAT'S NOT HELPING, SOUL KING!" Usopp barked.

"Your Majesty," said the Minister of the Right, "are you all right? I can't believe that the great Hero of the Sea has been reduced to this!"

"It's not your fault," said Neptune. "I have a bad back and I can't fight very well. I just have to face facts: I'm getting up there in years-_jamon_. This was a terrible blunder on my part! I'm sorry-_jamon_!"

"You damn pirates!" the Minister of the Right barked at the Straw Hats. "When the three greats, Prince Manboshi, Prince Ryuboshi, and Prince Fukaboshi get back to the palace, then they'll see to it that you'll never leave this place alive! You wouldn't have had a chance if the castle were submerged, but you drained out all the water!"

"We can't stay on the island, anymore," said Zoro.

"You mean you're leaving so soon?" Camie asked.

"Where's the _Sunny_?" Zoro asked. "We need to find Luffy and the others and get outta here, fast."

"But Zoro," Usopp began, "the _Sunny_ lost her coating when we went through the bubble surrounding the island!"

"Not only that," Nami started, "but the Log Pose seems to be acting funny, too! It hasn't stabilized at since we first got here!"

Brook just kept strumming his guitar and singing.

"Oh, brother!" the Minister of the Left said. "You won't be able to navigate the New World with that simple Log Pose! What a foolish bunch of pirates you are!"

"Wait, you mean I can't use this Log Pose in the New World?" Nami asked. "How come?"

"Untie and I'll show you," said the Minister of the Left.

**DING-DONG! DING-DONG!** A bell chimed.

"The doorbell!" the Minister of the Right cried. "The princes have returned!"

XXX

Outside the bubble surrounding the palace, it is revealed that the Minister of the Right is correct: the princes have come back, and Prince Fukaboshi is ringing the doorbell.

"That's odd," said Fukaboshi. "Why isn't anyone answering?"

He pulled out a Mini Transponder Snail, but just before he could speak into it…

"**Hello? Who is this?"** Zoro's voice asked on the Mini Transponder Snail.

"**HEY, YOU!"** shouted the Minister of the Right. **"YOU CAN'T ANSWER THAT! PRINCE FUKABOSHI! HELP~!"**

"**WILL YOU SHUT UP?!"**

"**PRINCE RYUBOSHI! PRINCE MANBOSHI!"**

"Brother!" Ryuboshi called. "There must be an incident at hand, _la ti do~!_"

"I agree!" Manboshi exclaimed. "Are Father and Shirahoshi all right?!"

"This is Prince Fukaboshi!" shouted Fukaboshi. "What's going on in there? Bring down the connecting hallway and open the gates of the palace, at once!"

"**And then what? We can't do that."**

XXX

In the palace, Usopp, Pappug, and Camie were shocked at Zoro's actions.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" questioned the Minister of the Right.

"WHY CAN'T YOU JUST TELLTHE TRUTH AND FACE CONSEQUENCES, ZORO?!" Usopp questioned in tears of fright.

"Hey, can you tie me and Camie up, too?!" Pappug asked, also teary-eyed. "If you don't, they'll think we had a part in it, too!"

"Zoro-chin is so scary!" Camie cried.

"**Which one of the Straw Hat Pirates are you?"** Fukaboshi asked on the other side.

"Fukaboshi!" Neptune cried. "He's the Straw Hat Pirates' swordsman with a bounty of 120 million Berries! 'Pirate Hunter' Zori!"

"MY NAME IS ZORO!" Zoro barked.

"**Father!"** Fukaboshi cried.

"You heard him," said Zoro. "We've got hostages in here, and one of them is your father, the king, and if you want them back in one piece, I suggest you follow our demands!"

"…**fine,"** said Fukaboshi. **"What do you want?"**

"First off," Zoro started, "a new coating for our ship, _Sunny_. Second, go find the rest of our crew: one dark, black-haired woman with blue eyes, one raccoon dog, and one perverted troll."

"YOHOHOHOHO!" Brook laughed in hysterics. "Perverted troll, indeed! How witty! YOHOHOHOHO!"

"Ooh! Zoro!" Nami said. "Ask them if we can get a billion Berries, too!"

"I THOUGHT I SAID TO KNOCK IT OFF!" Usopp snapped.

XXX

Outside the palace…

"We understand your demands," Fukaboshi said. "We will arrange for you and your crew to leave this island as soon as soon as possible. In return, you must guarantee the safety of the hostages!"

"But brother!" Ryuboshi and Manboshi cried.

"We have no choice!" Fukaboshi said to them. "This connecting Water Road is the only way in. Every other section of Ryugu Palace is protected by a barrier of countless layers of bubbles."

XXX

Back inside the palace…

"**One more thing, Zoro,"** said Fukaboshi.

"Yeah?" Zoro asked.

"**I'm a bit reluctant to do this, now, but I must keep a promise I made to Jimbei, a former Warlord of the Sea. He left two messages for Straw Hat Luffy, your captain."**

Neptune, the Ministers, and the guards began to murmur amongst themselves.

"Jimbei?!" Neptune repeated.

"Jimbei…" the Minister of the Left muttered.

"Big Boss Jimbei?" the Minister of the Right questioned.

"Oh, yeah!" Usopp exclaimed. "Luffy said he was friends with Jimbei, didn't he?!"

"Even though he's a pirate," said Pappug, "Jimbei is still trusted and respected around the whole island!"

"Luffy's not here at the moment," Zoro said, "but I'll be sure to relay the messages to him."

"**First,"** Fukaboshi said, **"'Do not fight Hody Jones.' Second, 'I await you and your friends in the Sea Forest!' Those are his messages."**

"Sea Forest?" Zoro repeated. "Hody Jones?"

XXX

Meanwhile, at Coral Hill, a crowd has gathered out on the streets.

"Have you heard the latest?"

"Sure have! The Straw Hats have gone too far, this time!"

"What do you mean? What's happened?"

"They've occupied Ryugu Palace!"

"You're kidding! Why would they do such a thing?!"

"That can't be!" said one of the mermaids from the Mermaid Inlet. "They all seemed like such nice people!"

"How could they do that?!" asked Ichika.

"They're the prime suspects behind the kidnappings at the Mermaid Inlet! They must be the ones that Madam Sharley saw in her vision, too! The vision's already coming true!"

"So, those pirates finally show their true colors, eh?!"

"I heard that two of the Straw Hats are in the back room of the Mermaid Café, right now! The security forces have already gone to arrest them!"

**KRASH!** A huge noise coming from the back room of the Mermaid Café caught the attention of the crowd. Looking back, they saw some soldiers from Ryugu Palace being thrown out by Chopper, only now, he looked much different. He looked taller, and a bit stouter with a wide face and mouth. His arms and legs appeared to be more muscular.

"Kung Fu POINT!" Chopper cried as he made some battle cries that a karate fighter would use.

**WHAK! THWAK! THWAM! KRASH! SHABAM!** Chopper spun around like a whirlwind, punching, kicking, and chopping the soldiers as he did.

"What is that strange animal?!" asked a soldier.

"It just transformed! First it was smaller, and now it's gotten bigger!"

"Sanji is still resting, so don't touch him!" Chopper shouted. "Go with you to Ryugu Palace, huh?! Yeah, right! You just wanna arrest us for no reason!"

"Hey…"

Chopper turned back and saw Sanji, walking out of the café, hands dipped loosely in his pockets.

"Sanji, what are you doing?!" Chopper asked. "You have stay in bed and rest some more!"

Sanji ignored Chopper and placed his foot on the head of one of the unconscious soldiers.

"Is she…at Ryugu Place?" Sanji questioned. "The Mermaid Princess?"

"Yes," answered one of the soldiers. "What of it?"

"…I'm going there," said Sanji, "even if it kills me."

"WHAT?!" Chopper questioned. "Don't you ever give up, Sanji?! If she's beautiful, you could die!"

"I don't care!" Sanji remarked. "As long as I get to see her…I don't care if I die!"

"But Sanji…" Chopper muttered.

"Hey! You!"

Sanji, Chopper, and the soldiers turned to see Joe and Moon approaching. Moon was hooked to a leash while Joe followed behind her with his cane in hand.

"Hey, look! It's Moon!" Chopper said. "But…who's that with her?"

"Joseph?!" a soldier asked. "What are you doing here?! You know that you're forbidden to set foot outside the Fishman District!"

Joe approached the group, but for some reason, he didn't speak a word, and stopping right in front of Sanji and Chopper. One look at his sunglasses, and they could tell he was blind, and yet the Moray Eel Fishman knew that they were standing right there.

"Uh…can we help you?" Sanji asked, feeling a bit disturbed by Joe's silence.

"Are you two…a part of the Straw Hat Pirates?" asked Joe.

"Yeah, why?" Sanji asked.

A pause. Then, out of nowhere, **THWAK!** Joe slammed the handle of his cane into Sanji's throat and pinned him against a wall!

"SANJI!" Chopper cried.

_Oh, no!_ Moon thought to herself. _What is he doing?! This isn't like him!_

"Joseph!" the soldiers cried. "Stop it! Leave him alone! We need to bring him and the reindeer back to Ryugu Palace alive!"

"Look, sonny," said Joe as he held Sanji against the wall, his cane pressed up against his trachea. "I've got nothing against humans, really. I'm normally a friendly, go-with-the-flow type of fellow. However…when something bad happens, and it involves my sister, you're asking for trouble! Now…where is Maxine?!"

"What?" Sanji questioned with a gag. "W-what are you talking about?!"

"Moon, what's going on?!" Chopper asked. "Who is that guy and why is he attacking Sanji?!"

"_That's Joe,"_ Moon answered. _"He's my real master, besides Maxine. He's also Maxine's big brother. She never made it home, and Joe got worried, so he came here to find her, and then he heard some rumors that you guys are kidnapping mermaids from the Inlet, and Maxine was one of them!"_

"What?!" Chopper asked. "But we'd never kidnap someone!"

"Where's my little sister, you scumbag pirate?!" Joe asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Sanji gagged. "I-I didn't do anything!"

"Joseph!" a soldier shouted. "That's enough! Get out of here, or we'll be forced to arrest you and your dog, too!"

As the soldier reached out to grab Joe from behind, **WHAK!** The Moray Eel Fishman kicked him in the gut, letting Sanji go as he did.

"AGH!" the soldier cried before he is sent flying against the ground.

The soldiers stared at their beaten comrade, then back at Joe, who turned to face them.

"Normally, I wouldn't go instead Neptune's army," said Joe, "but right now, this is between me and these pirates, so stay out of it!"

**FWIK!** Sanji lit his cigarette, then took a drag and blew out a puff of smoke.

"I don't know what your deal is," said Sanji, "but if you wanna fight, pal, then I'll be more than happy to give you one."

Joe turned to face Sanji once again, gripping the handle of his cane tightly as he did.

"Sanji…" Chopper muttered.

_Joe…_ Moon thought.

XXX

Meanwhile, in Hard Shell Tower at Ryugu Palace…

"Wait!" Shirahoshi cried. "What are you doing?!"

"We're going outside!" Luffy answered. "Come on!"

"B-but Master Luffy, I can't!" Shirahoshi said. "I-it's too…"

"Look, you said you wanted to go somewhere, right?" Luffy asked. "And if I were you, I'd go nuts if I had to stay cooped up in a room like this for ten years! And besides, I owe you for giving me that food, so lead the way!"

"But…if I leave now, I'd only cause more trouble for the castle staff," Shirahoshi said.

"_She's right, Luffy!"_ Blizzard said. _"What's gonna happen when the guards, not to mention her father, find out she's missing?! They're gonna jump to the conclusion that we kidnapped her!"_

"So?" Luffy asked.

"_So?!"_ Blizzard repeated. _"Luffy, it means that the king will send the guards after us! Or worse, the king HIMSELF will come after us and skewer us with that trident!"_

"You worry too much," Luffy said. "Look, we're strong. We can handle those guys, easily!

"_No, Luffy, you're missing the point!"_ Blizzard argued. _"I'm trying to tell you that…you know what? Never mind. It's always in one ear and out the other with you!"_

"So, anyway," Luffy said to the Mermaid Princess, "where is it that you wanna go?"

Shirahoshi looked down and mumbled something incoherent.

"What?" Luffy asked.

Shirahoshi mumbled, again.

"What did you say?" Luffy asked, picking his ear and then cupping his hand around it. "I can't hear you! Speak up!"

"…the Sea Forest," Shirahoshi said with tears in her eyes.

"The Sea Forest?" Luffy repeated questioningly.

"_What's the Sea Forest?"_ Blizzard asked.

"I dunno," said Luffy.

"I…it's only a dream," whimpered Shirahoshi. "I could never go outside!"

"Oh, now what are you boo-hooing about?!" Luffy asked, irritated.

"I-I'm sorry!" Shirahoshi wept. "I'm trying to muster the courage, but…I just can't! Please don't be angry at me, Master Luffy! You're so scary…!"

"Jeez," Luffy said. "You're a real pain in the ass, you know that?"

"I'M A PAIN?!" Shirahoshi cried.

**BAP!** Blizzard bopped Luffy on the head with his paw.

"OUCH!" Luffy cried as he held the bump on his head. "What the hell was that for?!"

"_Will you stop making her so freaking upset?!"_ Blizzard asked. _"Why do you think she's crying in the first place?!"_

"So what?!" Luffy asked. "It's not like I'm killing her!"

Suddenly, **BOOM! BOOM!** A huge noise went off, frightening Shirahoshi even more to the point where she screamed and hid herself under her covers.

_What the hell?! _Blizzard questioned in thought. _What is that?!_

**WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!** The noise continued, and Shirahoshi looked out from her covers with tears still falling down her cheeks.

"Is that guy throwing something, again?" Luffy asked. "Damn, he's so annoying!"

XXX

Outside the palace, something is striking the walls, trying to get inside.

"What's that sound?!" Neptune questioned in alarm. "Could it be Vander Decken, trying to throw another axe at my dear Shirahoshi's room?! The princess is in danger! Are there any guards with her?!"

"No, Your Majesty!" answered a guard. "We're all here!"

"You! Pirates!" Neptune barked. "Go and see that the princess is safe, now!"

"What the hell are you talking about, old man?" Zoro asked.

"But Your Majesty!" shouted another guard. "You'll expose Princess Shirahoshi to danger!"

"We have no choice, right now!" Neptune boomed. "Hard Shell Tower is in the northeast sector of the palace! Go, quickly, Straw Hats!"

_You shouldn't really be telling him where to go,_ Usopp thought. _Trust me. It ain't worth it._

"And just why is the hostage telling us what to do?" Zoro questioned.

"SHUT IT!" Neptune boomed, once more as he leaned down to meet Zoro's face, much to Usopp's fright. "Princess Shirahoshi is my only daughter, and for the past ten years, someone has been trying to kill her! If anything happens to her, then I'll pursue you all to the darkest depths of the ocean!"

"The Mermaid Princess?!" Brook questioned before he turned and ran away. "YOHOHOHO! I MUST have a look at her! I shall go and protect her, forthwith! I hope no one minds if I had a peek at her panties."

"BROOK, WAIT!" Usopp called.

_I wanna see her, too!_ he thought.

"Oh, brother!" exclaimed the Minister of the Left. "He so obviously has ulterior motive! The Princess is in a whole new kind of danger, now!"

"WAIT! SKELETON!" the Minister of the Right called.

"Minister of the Right!" cried the guards.

"You can leave me tied up if you must," the Minister of the Right began, "but take me with you! Hard Shell Tower is under my jurisdiction! If anything were to befall the Princess….then I will never live it down."

Brook stared at the Minister of the Right in seeming awe.

"I see," he said before he grabbed the Seahorse Merman, hoisted him over his shoulder, and carried him away.

"You wish to see her, too, don't you?!" Brook asked. "YOHOHOHOHOHO!"

"DON'T BE FOOLISH!" shouted the Minister of the Right.

"YOU FIENDS!" cried the Minister of the Left.

"I've got the jump on you, Mister Sanji!" Brook cried. "YOHOHOHOHO!"

XXX

Back in Shirahoshi's room, the Mermaid Princess is holding Luffy and Blizzard in the palms of her hands.

"I've always wanted to go to the Sea Forest for the last ten years," said Shirahoshi, "but everyone told me that it was far too dangerous for me to leave the tower, and…I was a bit too afraid to go outside, anyway. Master Luffy, will you and Master Blizzard really take me there?"

"Of course," Luffy said.

"And…will you really protect me?" Shirahoshi asked.

"Sure we will!" Luffy answered. "Leave it to us! Right, Blizzard?"

**WOOF!** Blizzard barked in reply, as if to say yes.

Shirahoshi smiled at the two Straw Hats, and then she began to cry, once more.

"Will you stop with all the water works?!" Luffy asked. "If you keep that, then we won't take you anymore!"

"_Luffy~!"_ Blizzard scolded.

"Alright," Shirahoshi said. "I-I'll try and stop crying, now."

"_That actually works?"_ Blizzard questioned in disbelief.

"Sure!" Luffy said. "Ace used to do it to me when I used to cry!"

Blizzard sighed.

_Of course,_ he thought.

"I can't wait for you to take me to the Sea Forest," said Shirahoshi.

"Actually," Luffy said to the princess, "you're gonna have to take us there, yourself, since I can't swim and all."

Shirahoshi sniffled and wiped her tears, even though they kept coming.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered. "I-it's just…I'm so happy…!"

"Jeez, you're such a big crybaby," said Luffy.

"_Uh, Luffy,"_ Blizzard called. _"I just thought of a really big problem."_

"Like what?" Luffy asked.

"_Well,"_ Blizzard began, _"how can we sneak the princess out when she's as big as a house?"_

"Oh, yeah, you're right," Luffy said. "Everyone's gonna see her since she's so big and all!"

"You're right," Shirahoshi said. "I am rather big, aren't I? I'm sorry."

A pause.

"Wait!" Luffy said, beaming. "I just got a great idea!"

_Oh, no,_ Blizzard thought. _Whenever Luffy says that he has a great idea, it always means trouble._

XXX

Meanwhile, outside the tower, Brook is headed there with the Minister of the Right.

"Here I come, Mermaid Princess~!" Brook cried.

"Wait! Skeleton!" the Minister of the Right shouted. "Look around the tower!"

Brook looked over to the tower and saw many holes and cracks in it, as well as…something else.

"Good heavens!" Brook cried.

"This…this is unheard of!" the Minister of the Right cried. "He didn't hurl axes or knives or swords at the door, this time! He threw actual human pirates at the tower!"

Taking a closer look, it is revealed that the Minister is right. The bloodied pirates are littered haphazardly on the floor, and some were even embedded, headfirst in the walls, as if somebody had thrown them like darts to a dartboard!

"How inhuman!" the Minister of the Right exclaimed. "How bizarre! This is definitely the work of Vander Decken!"

"What?!" Brook asked in shock. "Vander Decken?!"

Suddenly, the pirates began to stand up, a bit shakily, though, but it still showed that they were alive, at least.

"They're standing up?!" Brook asked. "Impossible!"

"This is bad!" said the Minister of the Right. "The impregnable Ryugu Palace has been penetrated! It's an invasion! His Majesty is in grave danger! THE PRINCESS IS IN PERIL!"

XXX

Back in Shirahoshi's room…

"Sounds like all the noise has stopped!" Luffy said. "Time to go, Crybaby!"

"A-alright," said Shirahoshi.

"_Luffy,"_ Blizzard said, _"I should have you know that this is the craziest stunt that I've EVER seen you pull off!"_

"Let's go, Megalo!" Shirahoshi called.

**GAGH…!** Megalo cried in a strained voice.

**KRASH!** The giant shark emerged from the tower doors, carrying Luffy and Blizzard, now wearing bubbles around them, on his nose. And where was Shirahoshi, one might ask? Crammed inside Megalo's mouth, trying to hide her face behind his teeth and surprisingly, no one noticed her at all!

"Let's go, Shark!" Luffy exclaimed.

**GRAGH…!** Megalo gagged.

"M…MEGALO?!" the Minister of the Right cried.

"Good lord!" Brook exclaimed. "Is that Mister Luffy and Blizzard?!"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Sorry I took so long with the update! Review, please!


	13. The Mark-Mark Curse

**Ch. 13- The Mark-Mark Curse**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Moon, and Joe © Me

* * *

Megalo swam out of the tower with Luffy and Blizzard sitting atop his nose and Shirahoshi stuffed inside his mouth, and all the while, Brook and the Minister of the Right were trying to stop them.

"Wait!" Brook called. "Mister Luffy! Mister Blizzard!"

"Megalo, stop!" called the Minister of the Right!. "Come back! Where are you going?!"

**GRAAAAGH!** Megalo gagged as he swam away.

"WHOO-HOO!" Luffy cheered. "Let's go take that walk!"

_This is even crazier than I imagined!_ Blizzard thought.

_Father! My brothers!_ Shirahoshi thought as she hid inside the mouth of her pet. _Everyone in the castle! Please, forgive my behavior! I'm going out without permission, but I promise…I'll be home in time for supper!_

With that, Megalo continued to swim away with Luffy, Blizzard, and Shirahoshi.

"Wait, Megalo!" the Minister of the Right cried. "What are you doing?! Why did you just burst through the doors of the Hard Shell Tower like that?! What if something terrible has happened to the Princess?!" He then turned to Brook.

"Quickly, skeleton!" he ordered. "Hurry up and make sure the Princess is safe!"

"You're certainly a real bone-driver!" Brook said. "YOHOHOHO! Get it? Bone-driver? Because I'm a skeleton, you know!"

"JUST GO INTO THE ROOM, ALREADY!" the Minister of the Right barked.

"Humph!" Brook scoffed. "No sense of humor, eh? Oh, well."

And so, Brook went into Shirahoshi's room, only to find that said Princess is nowhere to be found!

"No!" the Minister of the Right cried. "She's gone! PRINCESS SHIRAHOSHI HAS DISAPPEARED!"

"What?!" Brook questioned. "The Mermaid Princess is gone?!"

"NOOOOOO~!" the Minister of the Right wailed with tears in his eyes. "This is terrible! It's a national emergency! Who could've done such a thing?! Someone has kidnapped the princess!"

As the Minister of the Right continued his lamenting, Brook suddenly sensed something from behind, and quick as a flash, he unsheathed his sword and blocked the saber of one of the pirates that had been thrown to the walls of the tower.

"Good sir!" Brook barked. "I demand to know what you think you're doing!"

Soon, the other pirates began to stagger to their feet, bloodied and barely alive.

"W…where is it?" one choked out.

"Where's the switch?!" asked another.

"What?" Brook asked. "What switch? You fellows aren't making any sense!"

"Where's the switch that opens the passageway that connects with Ryugu Palace?!" asked another pirate.

"Skeleton!" the Minister of the Right cried. "Hurry and get me back to King Neptune, at once! I must report the situation to him!"

"We have to follow our orders!" shouted the pirate captain. "If we don't, we're all dead men! Now talk, or else…THEY'LL KILL US ALL!"

"What are you lot talking about?!" Brook questioned.

XXX

Meanwhile, on Coral Hill…

"It feels like hours since they've been going at it," Chopper said. "I'm surprised that either of them are still standing!"

"_They took out all the solders, too,"_ Moon added. _"And caused quite a ruckus on top of that. Now everyone thinks that both Sanji and Joe are mean."_

In the middle of the square, it is revealed that Sanji and Joe are still in the midst of fighting. However, both seemed rather exhausted, especially after taking out all the soldiers, who know lie around their feet, unconscious. Not just that, but a crowd of citizens had gathered around them, and since they had laid witness to the fight, they now began to believe that Sanji and Joe were criminals since they took out the soldiers.

**Huff! Huff! Huff! Huff!** Sanji and Joe panted as they stood before each other in a stare-down.

"I gotta admit," said Sanji. "You're not half-bad. In fact, you're a bit tougher than the last Fishman I fought with!"

"You must mean Kuroobi," Joe commented. "Everyone in the Fishman District knows of the Arlong Pirates' defeat. I have to say, you're not too bad, yourself. Your legs are just as powerful as the rumors say, if not more."

"Uh, Sanji?" Chopper called. "You do realize you and Joe took out the soldiers, too, right?"

"Not my fault that they were in the way!" Sanji retorted. "You kind of took some out, too, you know, with that Kung Fu form of yours. Gotta say, that was pretty impressive."

"I…I'm not proud of beating them up, you know!" Chopper argued, despite him doing his little happy dance.

Suddenly, the sound of a shrill scream of terror is heard from the distance.

"Huh?!" Sanji muttered. "A lady in distress?!"

"What's going on over there?" Joe asked.

"Good lord!"

"Aren't you from the Fishman District?! What the hell happened to you?!"

"Someone, get this guy a doctor!"

"Huh?" Chopper muttered. "Hey! I'm a doctor!"

With that, Chopper, Sanji, Joe, and Moon ran to where the commotion is heard, but once they did, a sickening sight befell their eyes.

"What the hell?!" Sanji questioned.

"It's…it's Hachi!" Chopper cried.

On the shore of the bay lies a bloodied Hachi, his leg in a cast and many arrows protruding from his back, much like Blizzard during the Paramount War.

"Hachi!" Sanji called. "Hachi, can you hear me?! It's us! Sanji and Chopper!"

"Hachi!" Chopper cried. "What happened?! Who did this to you?!"

"Is that Cousin Hachi?!" Joe asked in shock.

"Nyuu~…!" Hachi moaned. "It's you guys…I'm so happy to see you after two years. Where…is Straw Hat?"

"No, Luffy's not here," Sanji answered, "but that's beside the point!"

"He's right!" Chopper agreed. "We need to get you some help, and fast!"

"…Cousin Hachi," Joe muttered. "What happened to you?"

"Joe," Hachi murmured. "I'm so glad you're here. Quick…you gotta help my friends."

"Friends?" Joe repeated.

"Yes," Hachi replied. "Sanji…Chopper…you have to get your crew together…right now."

"But why?" Chopper asked.

"Don't ask why!" Hachi answered. "It's best if you guys don't get involved…with Fishman Island. You must leave…right now! The New Fishman Pirates…are about to make their move! The Ryugu Kingdom will be laid to waste!"

"What?" Joe asked. "What are you talking about, Cousin Hachi?!" He then gasped.

_Flashback; a few hours ago_

At _Noah_ in the Fishman District where the New Fishman Pirates are having their meeting.

"Listen up!" shouted Decken. "All of you pirates under Hody Jones' command! You're all very luck, because you're about to take part in an historic mission!"

"Vander Decken?" questioned a pirate captain. "The captain of the _Flying Dutchman_?!"

"BAHOHOHOHO!" Decken cackled. "Oh, don't worry! I'm no ghost! I'm actually a descendant of the first Vander Decken, but then again, I am cursed! Even though I'm a Fishman, I can't swim! However, in exchange, I have the power of the Mark-Mark Fruit! Allow me to demonstrate!" He then pointed to a human pirate. "How about you, good sir? Please, step forward!"

"Who, me?" asked the rather confused and nervous pirate.

"Yes, you!" Decken replied. "Come, come! Don't be shy!"

"Hody!"

Hody and Decken looked up and saw Hachi, leaning on crutches and three of his six arms in bandages. He was in pretty bad shape after trying to protect the _Thousand Sunny_ back on the Sabaody Archipelago, but right now, that's besides the point.

"Hey!" Hachi called as he limped in. "You guys aren't serious, right?! Nyuu~! You better stop this, right now!"

"Hey, look! It's Hachi!" exclaimed one of the New Fishman Pirates.

"Good old Hachi!" said another.

"Hachi," Hody grumbled.

"Stop taking those Energy Steroids!" Hachi demanded. "If you keep using them, they'll end up killing you! Nyuu~! Why in the world would a Fishman want to destroy Fishman Island, anyway?! Don't ever underestimate the Great Knight, Neptune!"

"Oh, cry me a river, Hachi!" Hody retorted. "I'm sick and tired of listening to your prattle."

The human pirates started murmuring amongst themselves.

"I can't believe that we used to look up to you as one of Arlong's officers," said Hody. "Now look at you. You're nothing but a coward! It's high time for a new generation to take over! Neptune is the only one that stands in the way of us proving to the human that we Fishmen are the superior race! Those were once your teachings!"

"But Arlong lost and you know it!" Hachi argued. "And you two! Vander Decken and Hyouzu! Why are you two here, now?! You didn't answer Arlong's message, years ago, so why are you helping these upstarts, now?!"

"Helping?" Hyouzu repeated with a hiccup. "Please. These guys are paying me! Arlong was always a bit on the stingy side. He couldn't afford to hire me, anyway. I almost feel sorry for Arlong if YOU were the best swordsman he could find."

"BAHOHOHOHO!" Decken laughed. "So, you're the notorious Hachi of the Arlong Pirates, eh?! Your captain wanted to make me one of his lackeys! He must've been nuts! I'll never be anyone's flunky, and Hody knows that!"

"I may've respected Arlong's strength and accomplishments," said Hody, "but he was a bit rough and lacked finesse. When you guys were wreaking havoc on the high seas, we were much too young to be pirates, but now look at us. We're all grown up, now, and we won't make the mistakes that you made. I am Arlong's successor! I shall be the one to carry on his legacy! When a former officer of Arlong's crew objects to our master plan, it really dampens the spirits! By coincidence, the one who thwarted your efforts and took away your mapmaker, 'Straw Hat' Luffy, happens to be on Fishman Island, right now. What do you say to that, Hachi?"

"I was once one of Arlong's top men," Hachi began, "and yet Luffy called me his friend! Nyuu~! He saved my life, too! I would like to go and see him right now, but…as long as the legacy of Arlong lives on here in the Fishman District, then I can't even face him!"

A pause.

"So," Hody started, "you called a lowly human being your 'friend'? Bah! That's the very same bull-crap that Neptune wouldn't stop spewing about! I've had just about enough of you, Hachi."

Suddenly, **TAP!** Decken patted his left hand on Hachi's head.

"There," he said. "Locked on Hachi."

"Huh?" Hachi muttered. "What do you mean?"

"BAHOHOHOHO!" Decken laughed. "Don't tell me that you've forgotten the pirate code! We pirates always settle our disputes with blood! Here! Take this!"

**FWIP!** He tossed a knife into the air, and at first, Hachi appeared confused, but then, **SWIP! SHUNK!** The knife whizzed around behind the octopus Fishman's back, and then stabbed him in his shoulder!

"AAAAGH!" Hachi screamed in shock and pain. His body still had not recovered from the beating he took on Sabaody.

The human pirates look on in disbelief.

"What the hell?!"

"The knife changed direction and stabbed him in the back!"

**KRASH!** Hachi fell to the ground, writhing in pain.

"The moment I touched you, Hachi," Decken began, "you immediately became my target! Now I can throw anything at you and it will seek out its target, and fly at you like a bird of prey! That is the Mark-Mark Curse!"

"AAAAAAGGH!" Hachi screamed, again.

"There are plenty of ways to defend against it, Hachi," said Decken. "Go ahead and experiment a bit, won't you?"

**KLAK! KLAK! KLAK!** A New Fishman Pirate handed Decken some arrows.

"Hey! Stop!" Hachi shouted. "What do you think you're doing with those arrows?! I heard the rumors about your powers! Hody! You have to stop Vander Decken! He's gonna kill me!"

"I told you before, Hachi," Hody said. "Decken is not my minion. We're all equals in the pirate alliance, and besides…you make me sick…coward."

Hachi gasped before he stood up, turned around, and ran away as fast as he could, heading out into open water.

"There!" Decken shouted as he tossed the arrows into the air. "Now go!"

"JAHAHAHAHAHA!" Hody cackled.

"BAHOHOHOHOHO!" Decken laughed. "That's right! Run! Run away! But no matter how much you run…those arrows will chase you, no matter where you go!"

**SWIP! SWIP! SWIP!** The arrows went off after Hachi, who is swimming away as fast as he can, in spite of his broken leg.

"I don't believe this!" Hachi cried. "They're even following me through the water!"

Hachi tried his hardest to get away from the arrows, but then, **CHUNK! CHUNK! CHUNK!** The arrows ended up skewering him in the back.

All that could be heard was his cries of agony which left the human pirates terrified…and then…silence.

"BAHOHOHOHO!" Decken laughed. "I can designated one target with each of my palms, but only two~! I haven't washed my right hand since the day I touched Princess Shirahoshi ten years ago! Do you understand?! My love and my missiles will follow their targets even to the depths of hell! That is my power!"

The New Fishman Pirates began to cheer.

"That's incredible!"

"So that's how he managed to stalk the Mermaid Princess without being caught by the Neptune Army!"

"He's so underhanded and sneaky!"

"Yeah, sneaky!"

"So sneaky!"

"BAAAAHOHOHOHOHOHO~!" Decken laughed.

"All right then, human pirates," Hody said. "You've seen what Vander Decken can do. Now it's time for phase one of the plan. Ryugu Castle is said to be absolutely impregnable, but Vander Decken has been hurling weapons into it for years! Now he will throw you in there and you'll fly straight at the Mermaid Princess! Only the first thing you hit will probably be the wall of a tower! Your job is to open the gates from the inside!"

"What?!" shouted a pirate captain. "You're mad! There's no way we can do something like that! We'd be dead the moment we hit the walls!"

"Of course you will," Hody said. "That's exactly why I'm using you damned humans! Here, your lives are cheap! You're even more worthless than slaves!"

The pirates gasped.

"If you hit the tower and manage to survive," Hody began, "then fulfill your mission! If you do it well, then I'll set you free! Refuse, and I'll send you all into the water, right now, you sorry specimens of an inferior race!"

"WHAT?!" the pirates shouted.

_Flashback end_

Hachi panted heavily as he lay on the shore of the bay.

"Please…just leave," he choked out. "Hurry…!"

Sanji and Chopper glanced at each other, then back at Hachi, and at that moment, Joe approached them.

"What do you want, now, old man?" Sanji asked. "Can't you see our friend is hurt?"

"…I'm sorry," Joe said.

"What?" Chopper asked.

"Now I know that you couldn't have kidnapped by sister," said Joe. "I just remembered that you're friends of Cousin Hachi, and in my book, someone like that is trustworthy enough to me. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding."

Chopper and Moon smiled.

"No problem!" he said.

"Yeah," Sanji agreed, "but…this isn't the time for yackety-yak. We gotta help Hachi."

"You're right," Joe said, "and I think I might know who did this to him, too."

Sanji and Chopper looked up at Joe with intrigue.

XXX

Meanwhile, in the passage to Hard Shell Tower in the northeast section of Ryugu Palace, Brook and the Minister of the Right are being chased by the pirates that Decken had thrown into the walls.

"Hurry, skeleton!" shouted the Minister of the Right. "To the king!"

"Wait! Come back! We…we have to open the passage to Ryugu Palace…or else Hody will kill us!"

At that moment, **SLAM!** Brook and the Minister of the Right came bursting into the main hall.

"K-King Neptune!" cried the Minister of the Right. "There's been an abduction! Someone has kidnapped Princess Shirahoshi!"

"What?!" Neptune shouted.

"Oh! And pirates are raining down on the tower!" Brook added. "We're under attack!"

"Shirahoshi?! KIDNAPPED?!" Neptune cried. "WHO DID IT?!"

"The palace is under attack?" Zoro repeated. "Now what?"

"WHY NOW?!" Usopp cried. "We're confined to this godforsaken palace in the middle of an enemy attack! What do we do?! Wait, no! Don't answer that!"

"I say let's cut 'em up," said Zoro.

"I SAID DON'T ANSWER!" Usopp cried.

XXX

Meanwhile, outside Ryugu Palace, Megalo is still floating away with Luffy and Blizzard sitting on his nose and Shirahoshi still stuffed inside his mouth.

"You know, you can come out of the shark's mouth now if you want," Luffy said.

"No, thank you," Shirahoshi said. "I prefer to stay inside. It does smell a little, but I'll be all right."

"If you say so," Luffy said.

_You might wanna bathe for about a few days when you do get out,_ Blizzard thought. _Or maybe for a month, depending on how bad the smell is._

"So, how does it feel be outside after ten years?" Luffy asked.

"Well," Shirahoshi started, "it's…exciting, but I also feel like I did something rather naughty."

"How is going outside a bad thing?" Luffy asked. "Man, you're weird."

"So, is this what you might call…and adventure?" Shirahoshi asked.

Luffy chuckled and said, "Yep! If you feel all warm in your tummy and your heart starts racing fast, that means you're on an adventure! Either that, or you ate too many gummy worms and feel like you're gonna puke. I did that once. It took Zoro a month to wash the barf off his pants."

Blizzard snickered at the memory.

"Anyway," Luffy said, "what's the Sea Forest? Is there anything interest over there?"

"Yes," Shirahoshi answered. "There's…a grave. A grave that I've never been able to visit, before. It's the place that I've always wanted to go to for the last ten years."

Luffy and Blizzard glanced at each other, and while the former seemed rather intrigued, the latter seemed a bit concerned.

Whose grave was it that Shirahoshi wanted to see?

XXX

In the Deep Sea, in a place known as the Sea Forest, a place made of entirely of one huge coral reef, someone is seen sitting in front of what appeared to be a large tomb.

"Ten years ago, that incident shook Fishman Island. An assassination in broad daylight. Has it really been that long? Your sons, the Princes, have grown to be hardened warriors, and even though your precious daughter, Princess Shirahoshi, is still confined in the Hard Shell Tower…"

The speaker is revealed to be none other than Jimbei, who hadn't changed a bit, save for the fact that he is now wearing a teal kimono with green leaf patterns.

"…none of have us have forgotten your ideals…Queen Otohime!"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Sorry for such a late update!

Review, please!


	14. Anniversary for Revenge

**Ch. 14- Anniversary for Revenge**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard © Me

* * *

"**Ryugu Palace! Ryugu Palace! Please, come in! Hello?!"**

In Coral Hill's Port Town, everyone looked up and saw some mysterious figures floating through the sky, and needless, it caused quite a commotion.

"Hey, Mommy!" called a Fishman child to his mermaid mother. "What's that up in the sky?"

"Oh," said the mermaid. "I'm not sure, honey."

Also in the sky, Luffy and Blizzard also the floating figures.

"_What do you think those are, Luffy?"_ Blizzard asked.

"I can't tell," Luffy answered. "It's too far away to make out."

"_Well…it's probably nothing,"_ Blizzard asked.

**SHAAAAGH…!** Megalo gagged, still trying to keep Shirahoshi in his mouth.

"What's going out there?" asked Shirahoshi. "I can't see much."

"Uh…don't worry about it," Luffy said.

Meanwhile, the Fishman Island Border Patrol has been trying to Ryugu Palace, only to get no response, much to their concern. They hoped that the Transponder Snail wasn't sick.

A public service announcement went out around the island, proclaiming that some notorious and dangerous people from the Fishman District had entered the island, and it didn't look like they came for a simple shopping trip. All they could do was hope that nothing bad will happen.

It is revealed that the figures is the New Fishman Pirates, riding on the backs of their Sea Beasts, along with Vander Decken.

"Hear me, my brethren," said Hody. "Today is the day! The day that Fishman Island shall be united as one!"

The New Fishman Pirates burst into cheers.

"Mermen, mermaids, and Fishmen must come together!" Hody declared. "Humans are an inferior race that can't even breathe underwater like we can! It is our destiny to rule over them! It's time we settled this, once and for all!"

"BAHOHOHOHOHO!" laughed Decken. "Today, I shall celebrate my engagement to Shirahoshi, but there's no real hurry! I can always marry her tomorrow! BAHOHOHOHOHO!"

"The Sun Pirates, that annoying crew led by Jimbei, have long disbanded," declared Dosun.

"Neptune, Fukaboshi, Ryuboshi, and Manboshi…" Zeo counted.

"Once we take care of them," said Ikaros, "then the Neptune Army will be nothing! _Muchhi!_"

"KYA! Let's tear them all to shreds!" shouted Daruma.

"If you want to cut 'em, then I'll cut 'em," said Hyouzu with a hiccup as he held his sword.

"Then let us begin," said Hody. "Go, and capture your objectives, men! From this day forward, the Ryugu Kingdom is finish! We will be the true rulers of the Deep Sea!"

The New Fishman Pirates broke into cheers once again before their Sea Beasts carried them off in different directions.

Whatever it is Hody had planned…it definitely wasn't good.

XXX

Meanwhile, at a Fish-Bus stop, there happened to be one bus that is heading for the Sea Forest. However, around the bus stop, a bunch of Ammo Knights lay on the ground in a battered heap.

"C…call for backup," stammered one. "She…g…got away…!"

Inside the Water Road leading to the Sea Forest, it is revealed is now sitting inside the bus, looking at a pamphlet.

_I knew I could get some information somehow,_ the historian thought to herself. _The Poneglyph is here, and this country should hold the key…to the Void Century._

XXX

Down at Ryugu Palace…

"Don't make it sound like I WANTED to cut them down!"

"You had a huge grin on your face while you were fighting! You acted like a natural born killer!"

"He IS a natural born killer."

It is revealed that Zoro had defeated the hordes of pirates that had invaded the palace.

"What the hell did you want me to do?!" Zoro asked. "What, would you serve tea to a bunch of bloodthirsty pirates who are trying to lop your head off?!"

"Yes, as a matter of fact," said the Minister of the Left. "I would even have them sit down for a bit of a chat."

"At any rate," said the Minister of the Right, "you beat them all, and now we have no idea what they could've wanted!"

"Well, that's not my problem!" shouted Zoro.

Meanwhile, Usopp and Nami are sitting on the floor, crestfallen.

"I swear that we've got the worst luck," Usopp moaned. "Things can't possibly get any worse for us."

"Don't say that, Usopp," said Nami. "With our luck, things will ALWAYS get worse."

"YOHOHOHO!" Brook chortled. "Mister Luffy and Mister Blizzard met the Mermaid Princess, didn't he? I really want to meet her, too!"

"WHO CARES ABOUT THAT?!" cried a tearful Neptune.

**THOOM!** He fell to the floor on his side.

"DAAAAAH!" Usopp screamed.

"UNTIE ME THIS INSTANT!" Neptune cried. "GIVE ME BACK MY PRECIOUS SHIRAHOSHI-_JAMON_!"

"Why in the hell would we kidnap the Mermaid Princess, anyway?!" asked Usopp.

"Your captain, Straw Hat Luffy, is the culprit-_jamon_!" Neptune shouted.

"Come to think of it," said Brook, "I do believe I did see Mister Luffy and Mister Blizzard leave that room on the back of that shark, but I don't recall seeing the Mermaid Princess anywhere in said room."

"Shirahoshi would never leave Ryugu Palace on her own accord-_jamon_!" Neptune cried. "She's as at least as big as I am! If she really had gone out, the whole palace staff would've seen her leave!"

"WHAT?!" Brook questioned. "The Mermaid Princess is that big, you say?!"

The skeleton began to imagine a giant, almost plump Mermaid Princess.

"Wait!" Neptune exclaimed. "I've got! Perhaps Straw Hat Luffy spirited Shirahoshi away after stuffing her inside Megalo's mouth-_jamon_!"

Suddenly, the guards started to snicker.

"Please, Your Majesty!" one said. "Don't make us laugh at a time like this!"

"Yes!" exclaimed another. "Even if someone were stupid enough to think of such a foolish idea, they'd never actually pull it off! It's just too insane!"

Usopp, Zoro, and Brook looked at each other.

"Uh…guys?" Usopp asked. "You don't think…?"

"He wouldn't!" Brook exclaimed. "Would he?"

"Oh, yes he would," said Zoro with an odd sense of dread.

Suddenly, Nami started seething, her hands balled up into fists, before she took in a deep breath and shouted at the very top of her voice, "MONKEY D. LUFFY~! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!"

XXX

Back with Luffy, Blizzard, Megalo, and Shirahoshi, Luffy suddenly shuddered and wrapped his arms around himself and shuddered uncomfortably.

"_What's the matter, Luffy?"_ Blizzard asked. _"You cold? You can borrow my tail if you want."_

"I-it's not that, Blizzard," said Luffy. "It's just…I suddenly have this weird feeling I'm gonna be in a lot of trouble."

"_What, you think Neptune and his army finally figured out that the princess is gone and they're gonna come after us?"_ Blizzard asked.

"No, it's not that," said Luffy. "It's got something to do with Nami."

Blizzard looked at Luffy with wide eyes and shuddered.

"_That's just as bad,"_ he said.

XXX

Back at Ryugu Palace, Nami is still seething at Luffy's idiotic whim.

"Uh, Nami?" Usopp asked. "You okay?"

"I will be," Nami answered. "That is, as soon as I find Luffy and skin him alive!"

"Uh, hello~!" Zoro called. "Not to be a bit rude, but what are we gonna do about the mess we're in?!"

"Don't ask us!" Nami snapped. "You caused it!"

"Yeah!" Usopp shouted.

"Until you return my Shirahoshi to me," Neptune boomed, "then I will not allow you to leave the palace-_jamon_!"

"WHAT?!" Zoro shouted. "You're crazy! We didn't kidnap anyone!"

"And if you won't let us leave," Nami started, "then how are we gonna find the Mermaid Princess?!"

"I don't care!" Neptune shouted. "Give her back!"

Little did anyone realize that one of the unconscious pirates had his arm on the switch that controlled the passageway of the palace…and it was put on "open".

XXX

Meanwhile, at the Sea Forest, it is revealed that many shipwrecks littered the Deep Sea Floor. Also, inside a giant bubble, it is revealed that the _Thousand Sunny_ is in one piece. That's not all. Franky had managed to find her, as well as someone else he had been wanting to meet for a very long time.

"They call this place the 'Graveyard of Ships'," explained a stranger. "The currents bring all the sunken ships here. Isn't it ironic? Here, of all places, the blessed Sun Tree Eve allows the coral to flourish, and makes the fish and whales gather here. The whales always know where the seas are most fertile-_don_."

The stranger turned face the _Sunny_ while Franky watched the creatures outside the Sea Forest in awe.

"I live here in the mysterious Sea Forest in order to study it-_don_," said the stranger.

"It's fantastic," said Franky. "A wonderland in the lifeless depths of the sea, but that's true of Fishman Island, too, I guess."

"By the way," said the stranger as he went aboard the ship, "how did you get hands on the Jewel Tree Adam Wood, anyway? This is a mighty fine ship you have here, worthy of the materials it's made of-_don_."

"I knew you'd say something like that!" Franky exclaimed. "Tom used the exact same materials to make Gold Roger's ship! This design is my SUPER masterpiece!"

"I'll handle the coating, if you want," said the stranger. "You can trust me on that-_don_."

"Thanks a lot, uh…what's your name, again?" asked Franky.

"Call me Den!" said the stranger, now known as Den.

Den is a muscular Bering Wolf Fish Merman with long, curly, fair hair reaching down below his shoulders. His long and hooked nose points downward, and he has a moustache and a dark, long, pointed goatee. Plus, he has a toothy grin creased across his face.

He has tattoos that resemble four-leaf clovers on both arms. This symbol is also seen on his black short-sleeved shirt. He also wears a dark green wide-brimmed hat and has what appears to be safety goggles on his face. He has two golden yellow earrings- one on each ear and a yellow beaded necklace around his neck. He carries around a bag of tools that is attached to a belt around his waist, much like how Tom, Franky's mentor, would carry his tools, and just below the belt is a light blue cloth, somewhat similar to an apron.

What appeared to be more interesting is that unlike most merfolk, Den had webs between his fingers, like a Fishman.

"Say, Den," Franky said. "You and Tom don't look anything alike, and you're a merman to boot! Tom was a Cowfish Fishman! I actually thought that you and Tom would be a like since you were brothers and all."

Den chuckled and said, "That's a very human way of thinking. I guess family members on land tend to look like each other-_don_, but I'm afraid it's a bit different with us. You see, Fishmen and mermen have their own genes. For instance, if an octopus mermaid has a kid that's a shark merman or Fishman, then that means there was a shark merman or Fishman somewhere in their lineage. Here on Fishman Island, no one is surprised, no matter what their child looks likes. We never quite understood why you humans separate people according to their looks." He then looked at Franky.

"Speaking of which," he began, "do you have robot somewhere in your family tree-_don_?"

"I'm all human," Franky answered.

"I read all about you and Iceberg in the letters-_don_," said Den.

"Oh, yeah!" Franky exclaimed. "Old Lady Kokoro would always write to you, wouldn't she?"

"That's right," said Den. "I know about what happened. Even what happened to Tom. At least he lived the life he wanted, and considering how you came all the way here to tell me, he had a great student under his wing."

"Ah, you're just flattering me," said Franky.

**KLIK! DOING!** He pushed his nose, causing his hair to form into a Mohawk.

"By the way," said Franky as he pointed outside the bubble, "who's that guy sitting out there all by himself?"

"Huh?" Den muttered. "Oh! That's just Big Boss Jimbei-_don_."

"'Big Boss'?" Franky repeated, questioningly.

"Yeah," Den replied. "He's waiting for someone. He's a wanted fugitive and a former Warlord, and because of that, he's not allowed to enter the island, anymore-_don_."

"I see," said Franky.

XXX

Meanwhile, back at Ryugu Palace, some unexpected and very unwelcome visitors had just arrived.

"That face!" the Minister of the Left cried. "You're that accursed Vander Decken! You've finally shown yourself?!"

"What does he want?!" asked one of the palace guards.

"And look!" cried the Minister of the Right. "It's Hody Jones of the Fishman District! What in the world is he doing back here?!"

"Hody?!" Neptune repeated. "He was…"

"That's right, Your Majesty," said the Minister of the Right. "Hody was once one of your finest soldiers."

It is revealed that Hody, Decken, and the rest of the New Fishman Pirates have entered the palace.

"No way!" Decken shouted. "I came here, hoping to start a war, but Neptune and his soldiers are all tied up!"

"I don't believe this," said Hody, armed with a trident of his own. "What is this, a present for us? Maybe it's some sort of trap. Things are going a bit too smoothly."

"Damn," Zoro cursed. "It's one thing after another. This place is really hopping today, huh?"

"Please!" cried one of the guards. "You have to let us get our weapons!"

"You! Straw Hats!" the Minister of the Left shouted. "Are you collaborating with them?! You must've brought them here on purpose!"

"Yeah, right!" Usopp shouted. "We only came because you guys invited us! Who the hell are those tough-looking goons anyway?!"

"Vander Decken!" Neptune boomed. "Now it's all clear-_jamon_! You're the one who kidnapped my dear Shirahoshi! Give me back my daughter-_jamon_!"

"BAHOHOHOHO!" Decken laughed. "Why Dad, Shirahoshi and I aren't even married yet, and you want her back, already?"

"I AM NOT YOUR DAD-_JAMON_!" Neptune barked. "WHERE'S MY SHIRAHOSHI! SHE'D BETTER BE SAFE-_JAMON_!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Decked questioned. "Has she gone somewhere?"

"DON'T PLAY DUMB WITH ME!" Neptune roared. "WHY ELSE WOULD SHE SUDDENLY DISAPPEAR FROM HER ROOM-_JAMON_?!"

A pause.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" Decken questioned. "MY DEAR SHIRAHOSHI HAS DISAPPEARED?!"

"SHE'S MY SHIRAHOSHI! NOT YOURS!" Neptune shouted.

"Your Majesty, don't listen to him!" cried the Minister of the Right.

"Calm down, Vander Decken!" Hody exclaimed as he picked up one of the pirates that Decken had thrown at Hard Shell Tower. "Look here. The humans that you threw at the Mermaid Princess are still here, and that means she was in the palace just a short time ago! Besides, it doesn't matter if what they say is true or not! You have a way to find out where she is, right?!"

"You're absolutely right!" Decken exclaimed. "You're a sharp one, Hody! I think!"

And so, Decken ran outside, wearing a bubble so he would be able to move around in the water since he couldn't swim, and chopped down a giant piece of coral from the palace garden. Once it came down, he attempted to throw it at the Hard Shell Tower, but instead, it flew off in the other direction.

"So it's true," said Decken. "It's not going to Hard Shell Tower, at all!"

**WHUP! TUMP!** Decken jumped up on the coral as it began to fly off.

"I've loved Shirahoshi these past ten years!" he declared. "Until death do us part!"

XXX

Out on Fishman Island, Luffy and Blizzard are still sitting on Megalo's nose while Shirahoshi is still crammed inside the shark's mouth, and Luffy was having a rather interesting (and a little rude) conversation with the Mermaid Princess.

"And then, I let out this really big fart!" Luffy exclaimed.

Shirahoshi giggled and said, "Sir Luffy. That's very rude, you know."

"_Yeah, it is,"_ Blizzard said, irritably. _"Seriously, Luffy, can't you talk about something else that's not so…oh, I dunno, GROSS?!"_

Luffy just laughed.

XXX

"BAHOHOHOHO!" Decken laughed. "If I can't have you, Shirahoshi, then no one can! I'LL KILL YOU!"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Review, please! And I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while!


	15. The Incident at Coral Hill

**Ch. 15- The Incident at Coral Hill**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Moon, and Joe © Me

* * *

"NOOOOOOOOOO! VANDER DECKEN HAS GONE AFTER MY DEAR SHIRAHOSHI!"

Inside Ryugu Palace, Neptune is pitching a huge fit about Decken going off to find Shirahoshi, and here he is, in chains and in tears.

"PLEASE, STRAW HATS!" Neptune cried. "I'LL GIVE YOU WHATEVER YOU WANT! JUST LET ME GO AFTER DECKEN-_JAMON_! YOU CAN HAVE ALL MY TREASURE! YOU CAN EVEN KILL MY SOLDIERS, IF YOU WANT!"

"YOUR MAJESTY!" the Ministers cried in shock and disbelief.

"PLEASE, I BEG OF YOU!" Neptune sobbed. "DECKEN WILL CAPTURE SHIRAHOSHI, I KNOW HE WILL! MY POOR PRECIOUES SHIRAHOSHI-_JAMON~_!"

"Really, Neptune," said Hody. "How pathetic can you be? And to think, the hated Straw Hat Pirates helped us take over Ryugu Palace."

_Hated?_ Nami repeated questioningly in thought. That's when she noticed Arlong's Jolly Roger amongst Hody's tattoos, and she swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat.

No matter how much time had passed, and even if she did replace that wretched tattoo, that mark would be forever engraved in the deepest, darkest part of her memory, and it would always instill fear and anger in her heart.

It was that very same mark that she had seen on Hammond that completely terrified her.

"Ngh…Jimbei told us that something suspicious was going on in the Fishman District," said the Minster of the Right, struggling against his bonds. "Are you the ringleader behind this invasion, Hody?! How could you betray us like this?! You were a solder in Neptune's Army! Have you no shame?!"

"JAHAHAHAHA!" Hody cackled. "Shame? I take no pride in having served Neptune! I only joined his army so that I could learn how to fight. It's as simple as that."

"Y-you fiend!" the Minister of the Right shouted.

"And thanks to you, I'm stronger than you, Neptune, and his army combined!" Hody declared. "We Fishmen have long been unjustly oppressed by the human race. I've seen it with my own eyes since my childhood! I looked up to Arlong because he managed to turn the tables on the humans! And now, we, the New Fishman Pirates shall carry on his legacy! JAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA~!"

Nami gasped silently, because for a split second, she could've sworn that instead of Hody…she saw Arlong. Not just saw him. She actually heard his voice, right down his terrifying laughter.

"_SHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA~!"_

"I trained to become Arlong's right-hand man when he first began his conquest of the world from the East Blue," Hody continued, "but a band of wretched humans thwarted him! You, Straw Hats! Not only that, but you took away his precious little mapmaker." He then glanced at Nami, who was frozen in fear, and his toothy grin grew wider.

"Who knows?" he asked. "Maybe, once we're through the rest of you…we'll take her back in Arlong's name."

Nami gasped in horror.

"Like hell, we'll let you take her," said Zoro. "If we survive whatever beating you gave us, then Luffy will kill us for letting you take Nami away!"

"These Fishmen are nuts!" Usopp exclaimed. "They wanna pick up where Arlong left off?!"

"Arlong?!" Brook repeated questioningly. "YOHOHOHO! Just kidding! I never actually ate an Arlong before! YOHOHOHOHO-"

**THWACK!**

"OUCH! MISTER USOPP, WHY DID YOU KICK ME?!"

**BA-BUMP! BA-BUMP! BA-BUMP!**

_M…my heart…my heart won't stop pounding so fast…!_ Nami thought. _My…my body won't stop shaking! I…I…I…!_

"I HAVE TO GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE~!" Nami screamed before she turned and bolted.

"Nami, wait!" Usopp called. "Where are you going?! COME BACK!"

It was too late. Nami ran away so fast, Zoro, Usopp, and Brook already lost sight of her. The frightened navigator ran through the darkened corridors until she felt that she was far enough away. Once she did, she panted heavily, trying to catch her breath, her back against the wall. She slid down into a sitting position on the floor. Then, she brought her knees up to her chest, hid her face in her arms…and started to sob.

_Why?_ she thought to herself. _Why did all of this have to happen!? Why did the ghosts of my past come back to haunt me, all over again?! HAVEN'T I SUFFERED ENOUGH?!_

As Nami continued to cry, she felt a shadow cast over her.

"Nami-chin?"

Nami gasped before she looked up and saw none other than Camie.

"A-are you all right?" asked Camie. "Why are you crying?"

"Camie…?" Nami muttered before she sniffled and wiped her tears. Then, she stood up and placed her hands on the mermaid's shoulders.

"Camie," the navigator said, still trying to hold back her tears, "I need you to do me a favor, okay?"

Camie just stared at Nami, confused.

XXX

"Great!" Zoro said, sarcastically. "Nami chooses now of all times to chicken out on us!"

"Zoro, can you really blame her?!" Usopp asked. "I mean, look at the guy! Who wouldn't be scared?!"

"Afraid, is she?" Hody asked. "JAHAHAHA! Good! The bitch should be! She hasn't gotten a glimpse of my power, yet! You, there! Step back!"

"Y-yes, boss!" said one of the New Fishman Pirates as he stood back.

Hody placed his palm against the wall, and smirked.

"Get a load of this," he said. "SHARK GRIP!"

**KRRRAAAAAAACCK!** A huge crack appeared along the palace walls!

"What the hell?!" Usopp questioned. "Just how strong is his grip?!"

Outside the palace, a huge cloud of bubbles had formed in the water due to Hody's grip.

Some of the New Fishman Island seemed a bit horrified at the sight.

"Uh…hey," said one. "He hasn't taken…'it' yet…r-right?

"N-no," answered another. "H-he's sober…for now."

**KLAK! KLAK! KROOOOOOOM!** The walls gave way, and water came rushing into the palace.

"Dammit!" Zoro cursed. "This whole place is gonna flood!

"NOT GOOD~!" Usopp and Brook screamed.

"JAHAHAHA…" Hody snickered as he held his arm against the rushing water, causing it to get soaking wet, and the New Fishman Pirates gasped in shock.

"Get down! Here it comes!"

"Oh, no!"

"Watch for those 'water drops'!"

Hody pulled his wet arm back, and then…

"SHARK ARROWS!"

**WHAP!** He threw the droplets of water off his arm, sending them flying toward Zoro, Usopp, Brook, Neptune, and his soldiers, and at that moment, Zoro noticed something.

The droplets seemed to take on a more sharper form.

"Those droplets of water," he began, "are turning into arrows!"

**CHUNK! CHUNK! CHUNK! SHUNK!** The water arrows hit the soldiers, actually drawing blood. Usopp and Brook ducked down at the last second, leaving Neptune and his men at the mercy of the arrows.

"Damn you, Hody!" Neptune barked. "How dare you attack my men!"

"JAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA~!" Hody laughed.

"STOP IT, YOU MONSTER-_JAMON_!" Neptune shouted.

**TUMP! CHUNK! CHUNK! CHUNK!** Neptune lied down, taking the rest of the arrows to his back and head.

"AAAGH!" Neptune cried.

"No! Your Majesty!" the Minister of the Right cried.

"Stop it, Your Majesty!" cried one of the soldiers. "You could be killed!"

"JAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Hody laughed. "You're a fool, Neptune! What kind of a king endangers his life to protect his men?! You were never fit to rule Fishman Island to begin with!"

"Your Majesty, no~!" the Minister of the Left cried with tears in his eyes.

"Damn you, Hody!" the Minister of the Right shouted.

"He's a monster!" Usopp cried. "He's hurting those defenseless people! He's way stronger than Arlong!"

**CHAK!** Zoro put a hand on _Wado Ichimonji_ and began to un-sheathe it.

"One-Sword Style…BIRD DANCE!"

**SWIP! SWASH!** Zoro sent an air-compressed slash in the form of a bird at Hody, who simply grinned before **WHAP!** He grabbed one of his own men by the back of his neck.

"H-hey, wait!" the New Fishman Pirate cried. "Cap'n Hody, what're you doing?!"

**SHLAK!** The air-compressed blade ended up hitting the pirate instead of Hody.

"That bastard used one of his own men as a shield?!" Zoro questioned. "Damn…Usopp! You and Brook untie the soldiers and then go find Nami!"

"What?! Why us?!" Usopp asked.

At this point, the water had risen up to Usopp's waist and Brook's knees.

"Uh…I'm afraid we have a slight problem, chaps," Brook said in a slurred voice, his body wobbling back and forth. "I…I'm feeling a trifle weak in the knees…oh, dear…"

"Brook!" Usopp cried. "Hang in there!"

"Dammit it to hell," Zoro cursed. "We didn't hold up our end of the bargain. We promised that none of the hostages would get hurt, and look what happens!"

The Minister of the Left stared at Zoro in surprise.

"Such an honorable man…!" he whispered.

**SNAK! SNAK!** Brook managed to cut off the ropes around two of the guards, but that was all he could manage to do, since the sea water was making him even weaker.

"Quickly!" Brook said. "Run, and untie your friends while you're at it! I…I'm afraid I…can't…anymore."

"Stop them, you fools!" Hody ordered his men. "Crush Neptune's army and the Straw Hat Pirates! Kill every last one of them!"

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGGH!" the New Fishman Pirates roared as they began to charge, armed to the teeth, but Usopp seemed to be one step ahead. He grabbed his Black Kabuto and pulled on the shafts.

"Certain Death Green Star…RAFFLESIA!"

**TWANG! BOOM!** Usopp fired a Pop Green in the water, and a huge red-and-orange flower sprouted out of the floor.

"Huh?! Where'd this flower come from!?"

"That's just weird!"

"Eat this!" Usopp said.

All of a sudden, the New Fishman Pirates were gagging and holding their noses as a horrific odor came seeping out of the flower.

"AAAAAAUUUUGH! THE STENCH!"

"THAT IS JUST NASTY!"

"MY EYES! THEY'RE BURNING!"

"What a bunch of nonsense," Hody growled, holding his nose.

"Zoro!" Usopp cried, trying to hold Brook above the water. "The water's getting really high! Do something!"

"This is…the end," Brook muttered, weakly. "I'm going to die…even though I'm already dead…Yoho…hoho…oh, dear~."

"Quick!" shouted a soldier. "Untie the ropes and grab your weapons!"

**SWISH! CHANK!** Zoro cut off Neptune's chains.

"You…!" Neptune said in surprise.

"I need a little favor," said Zoro. "Can you get you my friends away from the palace to safety?"

"But what will you do?" Neptune asked.

"Yeah, and what about Nami?!" Usopp questioned. "We can't leave without her!"

"If I know Nami," Zoro started, "then she probably found a dry place in the palace and is hiding there until help comes. Anyway, if that Hody guys follows us, then we're done for."

With that, Zoro took in a deep breath, and then, **SPLOOSH!** He dove underwater, and once he got there, he came face-to-face with Hody.

"Don't interfere, Roronoa," said Hody. "This kingdom is as good as mine."

_That's what you think, pal,_ Zoro thought.

XXX

Meanwhile, at the coast of Coral Hill, there is a huge commotion going on.

"Don't you play dumb with us, you damned pirates!"

"Yeah! Two more mermaids were kidnapped from the Southern Coast! What have you done with them?!"

"Why in the hell are you blaming us?!" asked Sanji. "I mean, yeah, I love mermaids so much that I actually want to carry them off, but I would never resort to something as low as kidnapping them!"

"But…isn't that the same thing?" asked Joe.

Meanwhile, Chopper and Moon are tending to Hachi's wounds.

"Hachi, it's gonna be okay!" Chopper said. "Get a hold of yourself!"

**BONK!** A tin can that had been thrown by one of the civilians hit Chopper on the back of his head.

"Ouch," Chopper said.

"_Chopper, are you okay?!"_ Moon asked.

**BONK!** A sandal ended up hitting her in the back of her head, making yelp in surprise and pain.

"HEY~! SANJI~! CHOPPER~!"

Sanji, Chopper, and Moon looked up and saw Megalo, carrying Luffy and Blizzard on his back.

"Hey, Sanji!" Luffy called. "How's your nosebleed?!"

"Is that Luffy and Blizzard?" Sanji questioned.

"Luffy! Blizzard!" Chopper called. "Down here! Why are you guys riding on that puffer fish?!"

"_Blizzard!"_ Moon called.

"_Moon?!"_ Blizzard questioned. _"What are you doing here?!"_

"Are those your friends down there, Luffy?" asked Shirahoshi, still hiding in Megalo's jaws.

"Yeah, they're my pirate crew," Luffy answered.

At that moment, the people started to get even more riled up.

"Look! Up there! It's their captain!"

"And their stupid dog, too!"

"Straw Hat's the one who's behind the kidnappings!"

"Oh, dear!" Shirahoshi said. "I mustn't let them see! Megalo, can you please close your mouth, just a bit more?"

**GAAAAAGGH?!** Megalo gagged in shock.

"Huh?" Luffy muttered.

"_What's up, Luffy?"_ Blizzard asked.

"I'm going down there, for a minute," said Luffy before he leaped off of Megalo's nose.

"_Hey, wait!"_ Blizzard called before he jumped off, too. _"You're not going down there without me, Luffy! Hang on!"_

**TUMP! TUMP!** Luffy and Blizzard landed on the ground without a scratch on them, much to the surprise of the townsfolk.

"Whoa! Did you see that?!"

"How could they jump from such a height and survive?!"

"Huh?" Luffy asked. "Hachi! It's you! What the hell happened to you?!"

"_Oh, my god!"_ Blizzard cried. _"He's a freaking wreck!"_

"Unh…Straw Hat…" Hachi muttered.

"Who did this to you, Hachi?!" asked Luffy.

"He won't say who did it," said Joe. "He just keeps telling your pals here to get off the island as fast as they can."

"Who're you?" Luffy asked.

"Luffy, this is Joe," Chopper said. "He's Maxine's big brother and Hachi's cousin. He's also Moon's real owner."

"Oh," Luffy said before he held out his hand. "I'm Luffy. Nice to meet you."

"Joseph," said Joe as he took Luffy's hand and shook it. "You can call me 'Joe' for short. Everyone does."

"_Uh…is this REALLY the time for introductions, Luffy?"_ Blizzard asked. _"In case you haven't noticed, we're standing in the middle of an angry mob! What is going on?!"_

"_They think that you kidnapped Maxine and all her friends!"_ Moon said.

"_What?!"_ Blizzard asked. _"We didn't kidnap anyone!"_

"I thought that the Straw Hat Pirates were occupying Ryugu Palace!" said one of the townspeople.

"They kidnapped the mermaids!" exclaimed another. "They must've tried to kidnap Princess Shirahoshi, too!"

"That's crazy-talk!" said one more. "The Mermaid Princess is a Giant Smelt Mermaid, not to mention she's Neptune's daughter! No one's that bold…or stupid."

_You obviously haven't met Luffy,_ Blizzard thought.

Just then, some villagers noticed Megalo, trying to hard to keep his mouth closed.

"Hey. What's with the giant puffer fish?"

Blizzard looked over at Megalo and gasped.

"_Uh…Luffy,"_ the wolf-dog called.

"What?" Luffy asked.

"_We've got a problem,"_ Blizzard replied. _"The shark is about to blow!"_

"What?!" Luffy asked before he turned to look at Megalo, who looked just about ready to lose it.

**GACK! GUGH! BLOOOOGH! PLOP!** Megalo opened his mouth and retched, and no sooner had he done so, out came Shirahoshi, much to the shock of the townsfolk.

"PRINCESS SHIRAHOSHI~?!"

"Oh, my…" Shirahoshi mumbled.

"Uh-oh…" Luffy whispered.

_And~…we're screwed,_ Blizzard thought.

"_Blizzard, I thought you said you didn't kidnap anyone!"_ Moon shouted at her brother, who flinched.

"_We didn't!"_ Blizzard argued.

"SHE'S HUGE!" Chopper cried but then he gasped. "Wait…did they say 'princess'?"

_The…the Mermaid Princess?!_ he thought.

"What's wrong, Chopper?" asked Sanji. "Is there something behind me?"

Chopper gasped, once again.

"No, Sanji!" he cried. "Whatever you do, don't turn around!"

"THEY KIDNAPPED THE MERMAID PRINCESS!" the townspeople cried.

"PLEASE, SANJI!" Chopper cried. "IF YOU TURN AROUND…YOU'LL DIIIIIIIIE!"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Again, I'm sorry I haven't updated this in a while.

Review, please!


	16. Proposal

**Ch. 16- Proposal**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Moon, and Joe © Me

* * *

The citizens of Coral's Hills port town is in an uproar. Why? Princess Shirahoshi had accidentally come out of her hiding place: Megalo's mouth. Now everyone is under the belief that Luffy has kidnapped her when that clearly isn't the case.

"PRINCESS SHIRAHOSHI IS BEING KIDNAPPED~!"

"Hey, Crybaby!" Luffy shouted. "Why did you come out of the shark?!"

"Ah!" Shirahoshi yelped as she started to weep, again. "I-I'm sorry, Master Luffy! Please, don't be mad…!"

"That damned pirate made the princess cry!" shouted one of the citizens.

"_Oh, great!"_ Blizzard said, sarcastically. _"Now look what you did, Luffy!"_

"What did I do?!" Luffy questioned.

"No, Sanji!" Chopper cried to the Straw Hat cook. "Whatever you do, PLEASE don't turn around!"

"…the princess," Sanji muttered. "Are you trying to tell me…that the Mermaid Princess is right behind me?!"

"That's right, Sanji!" Chopper replied, frantically. "So you can't turn around, Sanji! Just looking at a regular mermaid almost killed! YOU'LL BE FINISHED FOR SURE IF YOU LOOK AT THE MERMAID PRINCESS!"

Sanji didn't appear to be listening. Instead, he is deep in his own train of thought.

_The Mermaid Princess,_ the cook thought. _They say even the world's most beautiful woman, the Pirate Empress, pales in comparison to her…and she's right behind me! If I can't even reach out to a dream that's right in front of me…_

"Chopper," said Sanji. "I'd rather live my dream and die than never to have lived it, at all!"

"I THOUGHT YOUR DREAM WAS TO FIND THE ALL BLUE!" Chopper shouted.

_It's official,_ Blizzard thought. _Sanji has lost his perverted mind!_

With that, Sanji quickly whipped around to face Shirahoshi.

"NO, SANJI!" Chopper screamed. "DON'T DO IT~!"

**BA-BUMP!** Sanji's heart began to skip a beat the moment he laid eyes on Shirahoshi.

_What the…?!_ he thought as he gaped at Shirahoshi's weeping face.

**BA-BUMP!** His heart skipped a beat, again.

_Now I realize how much my imagination was lacking,_ the cook thought. _She is…simply sublime!_

**BA-BUMP! BA-BUMP!** His heart began to beat faster as he continued to leer at Shirahoshi, from her face right down to her figure.

_Even the greatest artist in the world…could never capture…SUCH BEAUTY!_

**KRINK!** Sanji's body suddenly froze up and turned to stone. Even the hearts that came out of him turned to stone!

"WAAAAAAAH!" Chopper screamed in shock. "HE TURNED TO STONE!"

"Okay, that's weird," said Luffy before he turned to Hachi. "Anyway, Hachi! Who did this to you?! What happened?!"

"He won't tell us, no matter how much we ask!" Joe answered.

"Nyuu~," Hachi moaned.

"It's a new symptom!" Chopper declared, staring at the frozen Sanji. "Could it be because of that blood transfusion from those two?!"

"M…Master Luffy…" Shirahoshi whimpered as she continued to wipe her tears away. "What should I do now~?"

Blizzard and Moon looked around and gasped when they saw the townsfolk beginning to approach them threateningly with rope, nets, and pitchforks.

"_Uh, Luffy?"_ Blizzard called, nervously. _"Something tells me we should get outta here!"_

"Why?" Luffy asked, clearly not noticing the situation the group is currently in.

XXX

A moment later, Luffy, Sanji, Chopper, Blizzard, Moon, Joe, and Hachi are all tied, the two wolf-dogs being hogtied.

"_THIS…is why, Luffy,"_ Blizzard said to his master.

"We did it!" the townsfolk cheered. "We've captured the Straw Hats!"

"Yeah! Take that, you scoundrels! You're up against the fishermen of Fishman Island!"

"Hey!" Luffy shouted. "What the hell is your problem?!"

"_You obviously don't pay attention, do you?!"_ Blizzard questioned.

"_I'm still wondering how I got caught up in this mess!"_ Moon said. _"Why am I tied up?! I didn't even do anything!"_

"_Yeah, sorry about that, Moon,"_ Blizzard said.

"_Is this what a life of pirate is really like?"_ Moon asked.

"_Yeah,"_ Blizzard answered, sweat-dropping. _"It's a bit complicated."_

"Hey!" said one of the Fishmen, poking Hachi in the face. "I remember you! You're that bastard who used to sail with Arlong's crew! What's your name? Hachi, right?"

"You leave Cousin Hachi out of this!" Joe spat.

"No, wait!" Shirahoshi said. "Please, let them go! You've got them all wrong! Master Luffy was only-"

"Don't you worry about a thing, Princess Shirahoshi!" said a Clownfish Merman. "We'll behead these criminals and we'll…"

While the townspeople are speaking, Luffy suddenly noticed something up in the sky. It was a bit too far to make it out, though.

"Hey, guys!" Luffy called. "There's something coming this way! Look!"

"Nice try, Straw Hat Luffy!" said another Merman. "We're not falling for any of your tricks!"

"No, wait! He's right!" said another Fishman. "Look up in the sky!"

The citizens gasped.

"No…it can't be!"

"Is that…Vander Decken?!"

Indeed it is. Vander Decken has just appeared on his giant piece of coral.

"BAHOHOHOHOHO!" Decken laughed. "I found you, Shirahoshi! I think! BAHOHOHOHOHO!"

"M…Master Vander Decken!" Shirahoshi cried with tears in her eyes.

"After all this time," said one of the townsfolk, "he's finally come back to Fishman Island!"

"Quick, Princess Shirahoshi!" exclaimed another. "Run for your life! We'll hold him off for you!"

"Answer me, Shirahoshi!" Decken shouted. "If you want to escape my wrath, then all you have to do is say yes! MARRY ME, SHIRAHOSHI~! BAHOHOHOHOHOHO!"

"Even after he tries to kill her for so many years," said another Fishman, "he's still proposing to her!"

Shirahoshi stared at Decken, her tears spilling out of her eyes, and then, she opened her mouth to speak.

"Master Vander Decken," she said. "I'm sorry, but…I just can't marry you!"

"What?!" Decken questioned. "Why won't you?!"

"Because…you're just not my type!" Shirahoshi declared.

Vander Decken gasped in horror, while the townsfolk just gasped in disbelief.

_THAT'S THE PROBLEM?!_ the townsfolk thought.

"_You mean…she won't marry him…because he's not her type?!"_ Blizzard questioned. _"That has got to be the lamest excuse I've ever heard in my entire life!"_

"_Actually, it's kind of understandable,"_ Moon pointed out. _"I mean-"_

"_Nobody asked you!"_ Blizzard snapped.

Decken's body shuddered and twitched, arching his head backwards until he looked down at Shirahoshi with a vicious glare of hatred.

"You've rejected my proposal for ten years, Shirahoshi!" the madman said. "Who, exactly, are you waiting for?! If I can't have you, then no one can!"

He then pulled out two axes from behind his back.

"DIE, SHIRAHOSHI!" he shouted.

The townspeople gasped in horror before they turned to a frightened Shirahoshi.

"Quickly, princess! Run away!"

"Get out of here while you still can!"

"No!" Luffy shouted. "Don't run, Crybaby! Stay where you are!"

The townsfolk turned to look at Luffy angrily.

"_Your master doesn't know how to watch his mouth, does he Blizzard?"_ Moon asked.

"_Unfortunately, no,"_ Blizzard answered.

"What the hell are you saying, Straw Hat?!"

"You're one of Decken's men, aren't you?!"

"You want the princess to die?!"

"If you run away, Crybaby," Luffy started, "then I can't protect you!"

Shirahoshi stared at Luffy before nodding.

"A-alright, Master Luffy!" she said. "I'll stay right here and I won't move until you say so!"

"No! Run away, Princess Shirahoshi!"

"Get out of here!"

"BAHOHOHOHOHOHO!" Decken laughed as he held up his axe. "Take this!"

"How dare you threaten our princess, Straw Hat!" said a Hatchet Fish Fishman as he is about to hit Luffy in the face with a broom.

"Sorry, you guys," Luffy said. "Nothing personal but…you're in my way!"

**ZHEEN!** Luffy's pupils expanded, and a sudden burst of Haki emanated from him, knocking out some of the townsfolk that surrounded him and the Straw Hats. Once that was taken care of, **SWUP!** Luffy suddenly disappeared, leaving behind a small cloud of steam.

"Luffy?!" Chopper questioned.

**WOOSH!** Luffy suddenly appeared before Decken, and in Gear Second form, no less.

"W-what the?!" Decken questioned in surprise before **THWAM!** Luffy stretched his legs and crushed the coral that he is standing on. **KRASH!** The coral landed on the ground, leaving Luffy and Decken suspended in midair. The townsfolk stared in complete shock.

"I don't understand! Straw Hat's tied up! How can he do that?!"

Blizzard smirked at this.

_Unless you have sea prism stone ropes,_ the wolf-dog thought, _then I guess you could say nothing can stop Luffy._

"You!" Decken barked at Luffy. "What the hell do you think you're doing?! This is between me and Shirahoshi! Why in the hell are you butting in?!" He then gasped in realization.

"So you're the one who brought Shirahoshi here!" the crazed Fishman said.

**WHAP!** Luffy twisted his legs up and grabbed Decken with them.

"Huh?!" Decken muttered. "What are you doing?! Release me!"

"You're the guy who's been throwing all those axes and stuff at Crybaby!" Luffy shouted.

"Why you!" Decken spat. "I'll stack you up like a log and chop you up into quarters!"

"I'd like to see you try," Luffy said. "Gum GUUUUUUUUUM…JET HAMMER!"

**WHOOSH! THOOM!** Luffy swung his legs down and threw Decken right down into the ground, headfirst! The townsfolk gasped in complete shock and disbelief.

"He…he defeated Vander Decken with one blow?!"

"I heard Straw Hat Luffy is strong but…I didn't know he's THAT strong!"

Decken groaned and twitched from his place on the ground.

"Look! He's still alive!" said a mermaid.

"Yeah, but he's stuck now!" said a merman. "Quickly! Now's our chance! Let's get him!"

At that moment, Blizzard had managed to free himself and the others by biting off their ropes, and Luffy soon came down to terra firma, hopping along the ground since his ankles are still tied together.

"Hey, Shark!" Luffy called to Megalo. "Wake up!"

**WHAK!** The Straw Hat captain banged his skull against Megalo's face, causing him to awaken.

"Hey, what's wrong with Sanji?!" Luffy asked.

"He turned to stone from happiness," said Chopper, "but at least he's conscious!"

"You pirates sure are an unusual sort, aren't you?" asked Joe.

"Blizzard!" Luffy called. "Quick! Get these ropes off of me!"

"_Way ahead of you, Luffy!"_ Blizzard said as he began to bite off the ropes.

"And you, Crybaby!" Luffy called. "Get on the shark! Hurry!"

"A-alright, Master Luffy!" Shirahoshi said, tearfully. "But…please don't shout at me, this time! It makes me nervous!"

"Princess Shirahoshi!" called a mermaid. "What are you doing?! Why are you listening to him?!"

"I'm so sorry!" Shirahoshi called to the townspeople. "Please, don't take this the wrong way! I promise I'll be back before supper!"

"WHAT?!" the townsfolk questioned, bewildered.

By this time, Luffy, who is now free of his bonds, and the others had gotten on top of Megalo.

"Everybody ready?" asked Luffy.

"Ready!" everyone except Sanji and Hachi answered.

"Okay!" Luffy said. "Let's get moving, Shark!"

"Let's go, Megalo!" Shirahoshi cried, pulling on the sides of Megalo's mouth.

Although the giant shark struggled, he managed to float up into the air and "swim" away, leaving the townspeople behind.

"Wait! Princess, where are you going?!"

"Come back!"

"You can't trust those people! They're pirates!"

Just then, **SWASH!** Decken had woken up and swung his axe at the townspeople who attempted to apprehend him.

"BACK OFF!" he shouted. "STAY AWAY FROM ME, YOU LOWLY SCUM!" He then looked up at Megalo, who is still floating away, carrying Luffy, Shirahoshi, and the rest.

"You won't get away from me so easily, Shirahoshi!" he hissed. "WADATSUMI! STOP THEM!"

**SPLASH!** Wadatsumi suddenly appeared in the bay, much to the terror of the civilians.

"It's the giant monk!" cried a Fishman.

"Wadatsumi!" Decked shouted. "Crush those insolent fools!"

"Right!" Wadatsumi exclaimed, pulling a fist back. "Here I go!"

"Gum Gum-" Luffy started, but Blizzard raised a paw in front of him.

"_I got this,"_ Blizzard said.

**SHEEN!** Blizzard's front claws suddenly extended to at least 6 inches, and they became black and shiny.

"Whoa!" Luffy said. "When did you learn to do that?!"

"So cool!" Chopper said.

Blizzard smirked before he jumped up at Wadatsumi, who is just about to punch Megalo down to the ground.

"_Scissor CLAW!"_ the wolf-dog thought.

**SWAK!** Blizzard slashed his claws at Wadatsumi's mouth, leaving behind three huge gashes on his lip, as well busting a tooth.

"AAAAH!" Wadatsumi screamed as he held his mouth. "That mean doggie cut my lip and broke my tooth!"

"Humph!" Decken scoffed. "That useless moron."

**TMP!** Blizzard landed back on Megalo, remember to return his claws to their usual length.

"Good job, buddy!" Luffy praised the wolf-dog.

"_Blizzard, that was amazing!"_ Moon said.

"_Thanks,"_ said Blizzard.

"Anyway," Luffy said. "Let's get going, Crybaby! To the Sea Forest!"

"Right!" Shirahoshi agreed, happily.

With that, Luffy and friends escaped with Shirahoshi in tow, heading straight for the Sea Forest.

XXX

Meanwhile, back at Ryugu Palace, two shadowy figures are seen swimming away.

"Captain Hody!" said one of the New Fishman Pirates. "One of the pirates and the mermaid escaped from the palace!"

"…let them go, for now," said Hody.

The two figures who are escaping from the palace are none other than Nami and Camie, the former holding onto the latter while wearing a bubble helmet around her head.

"Nami-chin," Camie said. "Are you sure that you want to leave Zoro-chin and the others back at the palace by themselves?"

"You can't carry us all, Camie!" Nami said.

"…I guess you're right," said Camie.

"Besides, I'm not too worried about them," Nami said. "They always turn out okay, in the end."

"Well, I know that they're strong," Camie began, "but Hacchin said that Hody is strong, too, and he has dangerous ideas!"

"Never mind that, for now!" Nami said. "Camie, tell me about this 'Jimbei'."

"What?" Camie asked, surprised. "W-well…umm…oh! Big Boss Jimbei may be a pirate, but he's certainly trustworthy enough to be allowed to come to and go from Ryugu Palace whenever he pleases!"

"Oh," Nami said. "But wait…wasn't he a part of Arlong's crew? Hody is supposed to be Arlong's successor, right? Jimbei left Luffy a message, telling him not to fight Hody, and now, I think I know why."

"What?" Camie asked. "You mean you don't think it's because he's dangerous?"

"I don't know," said Nami. "All I know is that I hope that Zoro and the guys don't end up pissing Hody off. Anyways, I wanna meet this Jimbei guy! He'd be waiting for Luffy at the Sea Forest, right? The cause of this whole incident runs deep, and I think Jimbei knows what's behind all of it! Camie…I want you to take me to the Sea Forest!"

Camie stared at Nami for a moment before she nodded, a serious expression on her face.

XXX

Inside Ryugu Palace, the palace is still flooding with water. In fact, the water is nearly up to the ceiling!

"Hear me, my soldiers-_jamon_!" Neptune exclaimed.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" said one of the soldiers. "We'll take care of Hody and his men, right away!"

"NO!" Neptune shouted, much to his soldiers' shock. "As I'm unable to fight right now, you would only die in vain-_jamon_. We must surrender the palace at once and reunite with Fukaboshi and his brothers before returning!"

"Surrender the palace?!" the Minister of the Right questioned. "Are you serious, Your Majesty?!"

"Is Zoro crazy?!" Usopp questioned as he struggled to keep Brook above the water. "How in the hell does he plan to fight a Fishman in his own element: water?!"

"Mister Usopp," Brook moaned. "I…I do believe I'm done for."

"Hang in there, Brook!" Usopp cried before he handed the skeleton to one of the soldiers. "Here! Hold onto him! I gotta check on something real quick!"

With Usopp, took a deep breath and dove underwater, where he soon spotted Zoro and Hody, only now, he didn't think the swordsman needed his help now.

Hody suddenly coughed up blood as a huge gash appeared on his chest and stomach. Zoro floated behind him, his sword sheathed.

_Lion's Strike,_ the swordsman thought.

Usopp was so shocked, he accidentally opened his mouth to gasp, letting bubbles of air escape.

"CAPTAIN HODY!" the New Fishman Pirates cried.

Zoro looked up with an intense glare in his eyes. It appeared that with a single slash of his sword…he had defeated Hody Jones.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Sorry for not updating this for a while, but since school's almost out, I've got plenty of time on my hands now! Yay!

Review, please!


	17. At the Sea Forest

**Ch. 17- At the Sea Forest**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Moon, and Joe © Me

* * *

The New Fishman Pirates stared in complete and utter shock and horror as their captain Hody began to lose consciousness from the wound Zoro had dealt to him.

"Captain Hody!" a New Fishman Pirate cried.

"I don't get it!" exclaimed another. "How can a human move faster than a Fishman underwater?! Who the hell is that guy?!"

"Men!" shouted another pirate. "Quick! Don't let that swordsman get away! Take your Energy Steroids!"

"Right!" the New Fishman Pirates cried.

**GULP!** They each took one Energy Steroid, and almost instantly, the drugs began to take effect, making their eyes glow red and their muscles swell. They snickered evilly as they looked up at Zoro, who is swimming up to the surface. Once the swordsman made it out of the water, he let out a gasp for breath and panted heavily.

"Zoro!" Usopp called, wearing a bubble helmet and clinging to Neptune's beard while still trying to keep Brook, who is also wearing a helmet, from drowning. "Quick! Over here!"

"I must get my soldiers out of the palace-_jamon_!" Neptune declared. "One-eyed swordsman! The palace will soon be flooded! Grab onto me, quickly!"

"Right," Zoro said before he swam up to Neptune and grabbed onto his beard, too. Once Zoro had gotten a firm hold, Neptune dove down into the water.

"Now everything depends on my bad back!" Neptune exclaimed.

**WHAP!** He seemed to grab the water around him, much like Jimbei.

"I shall create a path!" Neptune declared. "Escape from this palace, my soldiers-_jamon_!"

The New Fishman Pirates gasped in surprise.

"Hey! Look out!"

"Neptune's up to something!"

"Merman Combat!" Neptune shouted as he seemed to pull on the water.

"H-hey! What's he doing?!" asked one of the New Fishman Pirates.

"I don't know, but I think we should get outta the way before-" another started, but before he could finish…

"ULTRA-MARINE!" Neptune shouted.

**THOOM!** Neptune "threw" the current of water at the New Fishman Pirates, sending them flying through the water.

"AGH!" Neptune suddenly grunted in pain.

"Are you okay, old man?!" Usopp asked.

"D-don't worry about me," Neptune replied. "Quickly, my soldiers! Get out of the palace at once!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" the Neptune Army soldiers exclaimed before they swam passed the New Fishman Pirates.

"Hey! Come back here!" shouted one of the pirates.

"They're not even trying to fight us!" exclaimed another.

At that moment, another New Fishman Pirate swims up to Hody, who is still unconscious.

"Captain Hody!" he cried. "Can you hear me?! Quick! Take one of these!"

He slipped an Energy Steroid into Hody's mouth, and the supposedly unconscious Fishman…swallowed it.

By this time, the Neptune Army managed to escape through the palace gate and is on its way to the passageway that connected the palace to Fishman Island. However, not everyone made it out.

Neptune is still inside the palace with Zoro, Usopp, and Brook, and the king appeared to be paralyzed.

"Hey! Old man!" Usopp cried. "Get up! Pull yourself together!"

"I…I can't beat my old age-_jamon_," Neptune groaned. "My body…it won't listen to me, anymore!"

"WHAT?!" Usopp questioned. "B-BUT HOW ARE YOU GONNA GO GET US OUTTA HERE?!"

The Neptune Army gasped when they saw this.

"No! Your Majesty!"

"King Neptune!"

While Usopp tried to help Neptune, no one seemed to notice Hody's revival. His muscles started swelling up and his mouth upturned into a malicious, toothy grin.

Just then, **HOOOOOOOOEE~!** Hoe suddenly appears in the nick of time.

"H-Hoe!" Neptune cried before he grabbed at the whale's reins, allowing him and the three Straw Hats to get pulled to safety. "Thank you, Hoe! You saved me!"

"Yeah! And us!" Usopp added.

**HOOOOOOOOOEE~!** Hoe roared.

All of a sudden, Zoro covered his mouth as bubbles began to seep through his tightly closed lips.

_Crap,_ he thought. _I need to breathe!_

Just when it seems that Neptune, Zoro, Usopp, and Brook are in the clear, Neptune suddenly felt a rather hard grip on his tailfin and pulling him back inside the palace. Looking back, the old Merman king sees, to his horror, that it is a fully conscious Hody.

"No!" cried one of Neptune's men. "Your Majesty!"

"I don't understand!" said another soldier. "Hody should be out cold!"

"Go on without me!" Neptune shouted. "Go out into the island, my soldiers! Find my sons and send them back here-_jamon_!"

Hoe and the Neptune Army appeared hesitant at first, but then the Minister of the Right spoke up.

"Hurry up!" he shouted. "Do as His Majesty commands!"

"Y-yes, sir!" the soldiers cried before they continued to make their escape, leaving Neptune and the three Straw Hats at the mercy of the New Fishman Pirates.

"GET THEM!" Hody ordered to his pirates.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Usopp screamed, accidentally letting go of Brook as he did.

**GLUB!** Zoro, unable to hold his breath any longer, opened his mouth and let out a large amount of bubbles as the New Fishman Pirates grabbed him.

"I'm sorry!" Neptune cried. "But…I assure you…I will not…let these three die!"

"Hey!" shouted one of the pirates. "Whose skeleton is this?!"

Since Usopp had accidentally let Brook go, the skeleton is left at the mercy of the water.

XXX

Meanwhile, Luffy and company have finally reached their destination: the Sea Forest.

"Whoa!" Luffy said. "This place is awesome!"

"_Yeah!"_ Blizzard agreed. _"Look at all the coral, and those fish, and those whales! It's like a forest under the sea!"_

Shirahoshi sobbed a bit and wiped her tears.

"Thank you so much, Master Luffy," she said. "I've always wanted to see this place."

**HYAH! HYAH!** Megalo cried, either out of happiness for Shirahoshi or out of pain because the Mermaid Princess is still pulling the sides of his mouth into a grin.

"This should be a good place to treat Sanji and Hachi," said Chopper.

"Oh! Look!" Luffy said. "I can see the _Sunny_! And Franky, too! HEY! FRANKY~!"

Franky looked up once heard his name being called and saw Luffy and the others.

"Oh!" Franky said. "That you up there, Straw Hat? Who's that gorgeous babe up with you, huh?"

XXX

A few minutes later, Luffy and company had made it inside the giant bubble where Franky is.

"Lemme introduce you!" Luffy said to Franky, patting his hand on Shirahoshi's tail. "This is Crybaby!"

"_Luffy, her name is Shirahoshi,"_ Blizzard corrected.

"Shira-what's-it," Luffy said, trying to correct himself.

"_Oh, forget it,"_ Blizzard said, irritated.

"'Crybaby', eh?" Franky asked. "I think you should pull yourself together, there, sweetie!"

"Um, I'm sorry," said Shirahoshi. "My name is actually Shirahoshi."

Just then, Moon and Joe jumped off of Megalo's back and approached Franky.

"Oh!" Luffy said. "And these two are Moon, Blizzard's little sister, and Joe, her master!"

**YIP!** Moon barked in greeting.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," said Joe as he held out his hand.

"Pleasure's mine!" Franky said as he held out his hand.

**KLAK!** His smaller hand came out and shook Joe's hand in return.

"By the way, Straw Hat," Franky said. "Nico Robin was here, just now."

"Really?" Luffy asked. "Well, where is she now?"

"She went inside that big grove of coral," Franky answered, pointing his thumb behind himself. "She said she was looking for something."

"Oh," Luffy said. "Well, that's no big deal. Robin's always looking around for something."

"_I hear that,"_ Blizzard agreed.

"Luffy! Blizzard!"

Luffy and Blizzard turned to see Jimbei, who approached them with a smiling face.

"It really is you!" the Whale Shark Fishman exclaimed. "I almost didn't recognize you!"

"Jimbei?!" Luffy asked, excitedly.

"_It's him!"_ Blizzard exclaimed before he ran up to Jimbei, barking happily, and proceeded to smother him in wolf-dog kisses. All Jimbei could do was laugh.

"Yes, yes, Blizzard!" Jimbei said. "I'm happy to see you, too!"

**FWUMP!** Luffy threw himself on Jimbei, wrapping his arms around his chest, much to the former Warlord's surprise.

"It's really you!" Luffy said. "I really missed you, Jimbei!"

Jimbei chuckled before he gave Luffy a gentle pat on the back.

"I missed you, too, Luffy," he said as the Straw Hat Captain pulled away. "I see that aside from your attire and perhaps your height, you haven't changed much."

Luffy grinned and chuckled at that.

"I heard that you left the island," said Luffy. "I was afraid I wouldn't get to see you!"

"What?" Jimbei asked. "You mean you didn't get my message?"

"Message?" Luffy repeated, puzzled. "What message?"

"Big Boss Jimbei!"

Jimbei turned and saw Joe approaching him.

"Ah! Joseph!" Jimbei said as he placed a hand on Joe's shoulder. "I see you're doing well!"

"Yes," Joe answered with a smile. "I'm glad you're doing all right, too."

"You guys know each other?" Luffy asked.

"Of course!" Joe answered.

"Joseph and I were former comrades," Jimbei replied. "We even went to the same dojo as children!"

Joe laughed at that.

"I nearly knocked your block off the first time we met," the Moray Eel Fishman exclaimed.

"Big Boss Jimbei!" Shirahoshi exclaimed.

"Oh, well if it isn't Princess Shirahoshi?" Jimbei asked, happily. "It's so good to see you again, Prince-" His face quickly turned into an expression of shock and confusion. "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?! PRINCESS SHIRAHOSHI?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

"Hey, Franky!" Chopper called from atop Megalo's back. "I'm gonna let Hachi down, now! Catch him for me, okay?"

"Sure thing!" Franky answered.

Chopper gently lowered Hachi down into Franky's arms.

"Hey!" Franky said. "It's the octopus dude! What the hell happened to you, big guy?"

"Nyuu…!" Hachi moaned.

"HACHI, TOO?!" Jimbei questioned before he ran to the Octopus Fishman's side. "Hachi! Are you all right?! Wait, what are you even doing here?! I thought you had been captured with Arlong!"

"J…Jimbei?" Hachi questioned.

Chopper reached over to help Sanji down, but then, to his surprise, the cook stood up.

"That won't be necessary, Chopper," he said as he jumped down. He took a drag of his cigarette and blew out a puff of smoke in the form of a heart. Then, he began to spin and twirl around with hearts in his eyes.

"Uh…Sanji?" Luffy asked.

"Oh, my sweet Mermaid Princess~!" Sanji swooned as he stood before Shirahoshi. "My arts pale before the magnificence of your beauty! Your shimmering radiance beggars the powers of my pigments, and canvas cannot bear the weight of your pulchritude!"

Chopper gasped with tears in his eyes. Not even one single drop of blood came dripping out of Sanji's nose!

"He's…he's…!" Chopper started. "HE'S CURED!"

"_What are you talking about?"_ Blizzard asked. _"That's the way he always acts around girls, Chopper."_

"Yeah, but he's not having nosebleeds anymore!" Chopper pointed out. "SANJI'S BACK TO HIS OLD PERVY SELF!"

_And you think that's a good thing?_ Blizzard questioned in thought, sweat-dropping.

At that moment, Den comes outside on the _Sunny's_ deck and gasped at the sight of Shirahoshi.

"W-What's Princess Shirahoshi doing here?!" he asked.

"Hey!" Luffy called. "Who the heck are you?! Why are you aboard _Sunny_?!"

"Relax, Straw Hat," said Franky. "That's Den! He's my mentor Tom's little brother! He's coating the ship for us!"

"Oh, I see!" Luffy said. "He's the teacher who's gonna be coating your little brother, right?"

A pause came, but then Franky flashed a thumbs-up and grinned.

"Yeah!" the shipwright answered. "Something like that!"

_Are you kidding me?_ Blizzard thought, sweat-dropping twice as hard.

"Princess Shirahoshi," said Jimbei. "I know why you've come here, but you must never leave Hard Shell Tower!"

All of a sudden, Luffy and Blizzard seemed to sense something.

"Hey, Crybaby!" Luffy called as he ran to Shirahoshi. "Heads up!"

**WHUP!** Luffy jumped up, just in the nick of time to deflect yet another axe that had been thrown at the unknowing Shirahoshi. **THWAM! KRASH!** Luffy kicked the axe right into the ground.

"Another one," Luffy said as he eyed the axe.

"_This is really starting to get on my nerves,"_ Blizzard said.

"I know," Luffy agreed. "How long is that guy gonna keep chucking those things?!"

"I was afraid of this!" Jimbei exclaimed. "Luffy! Blizzard! Why did you bring Princess Shirahoshi here?!"

"Ah, there's nothing to worry about, Jimbei," Luffy said. "Besides! Crybaby's got me and Blizzard to protect her! Right?"

"Right," Shirahoshi agreed with a bit of a giggle.

"Not one to worry much, are you?" Jimbei asked, a bit befuddled.

_Don't worry Jimbei,_ Blizzard thought. _I don't really understand, either._

XXX

Later on, the Straw Hats, plus Jimbei, Hachi, Joe, Moon, and Den, are all going about their little activities. Luffy and Jimbei had decided to get some catching up done while Joe helped Chopper tend to Hachi's injuries. Sanji had to help too, of course, knowing that Joe is blind. Blizzard and Moon are frolicking around the _Sunny_ together, while Franky helped Den put up the coating.

As for Shirahoshi, she is sitting in front of the same tomb that Jimbei was sitting in front of earlier, her hands folded together and eyes closed in prayer. A single tear fell from her eye, and yet she had a smile on her face.

"So that's the grave she was talking about," Luffy said. "She sure has been gone a while, huh?"

"Of course," said Jimbei. "You would be, too, if that was your mother's grave."

Luffy's and Blizzard's eyes went wide before they glanced at Jimbei.

"Her…her mom?" Luffy repeated.

"Yes," said Jimbei. "Her mother, Queen Otohime, sleeps in that tomb. The princess fell victim to Vander Decken at the worst possible time. She was unable to attend her own mother's funeral and spent the last ten years in Hard Shell Tower. I'm sure that she has much to say after all that time."

Luffy and Blizzard glanced back at Shirahoshi, who continued to pray in front of her mother's grave. Before long, they began to feel old memories returning.

_The last time I visited my Mom's grave was when I was 17...right before I first left home,_ Luffy thought, sadly.

Moon approached her older brother in concern.

"_Blizzard?"_ she called.

"…_when was the last time we ever saw our Mother?"_ Blizzard asked.

"…_I'm pretty sure we last saw her when we were being put up for adoption,"_ Moon answered. _"I guess…none of us really saw her again, after that."_

"…_I wonder if she's even…no, I don't even wanna think about it,"_ Blizzard said.

"_Me, neither,"_ Moon agreed.

Suddenly, Luffy felt a chill going down his spine, and he gasped.

"Oh, no…!" he whispered.

"_What's wrong, Luffy?"_ Blizzard asked. _"Do you sense another axe?!"_

"No," Luffy answered. "I sense something…MUCH worse!"

"_What could be worse than an axe?"_ Moon asked.

"There's only woman who could strike fear into my heart," Luffy said. "And her name is-"

"NAMI~!" Sanji swooned. "AND CAMIE, TOO~!"

Luffy turned and saw Nami and Camie exiting from a Fish Bus, and the moment captain laid eyes on the navigator, he instantly that grim expression on her face.

"Huh?!" Camie exclaimed. "W-what's the princess doing here?!"

"MONKEY D. LUFFY~!" Nami yelled. "YOU ARE IN IT, _DEEP_, THIS TIME!"

"HIDE ME!" Luffy cried before he ducked behind Blizzard.

"_Sorry, Luffy!"_ Blizzard said as he ran to the safety of the ship. _"You're on your own this time!"_

"Traitor!" Luffy spat before he turned to Nami, who towered over him with that same menacing expression.

"Uh…hi, Nami!" Luffy said nervously. "Did…did the banquet at the palace start yet? Heheheh…!"

Nami didn't speak one word. Instead, she raised her fist, preparing to pummel Luffy in a rubber pulp. Luffy flinched, and Blizzard covered his eyes with his paws, awaiting the sound of Nami's fists making contact with Luffy's face, but then…Nami lowered her arm…and threw her arms around Luffy, much to his bewilderment.

_Uh…that's new,_ Blizzard thought.

"Nami's never done that, before," Chopper pointed out.

"Nami?" Luffy asked. "Are you okay?"

A pause, but then, to Luffy's surprise, Nami began to cry into his shoulder.

"Nami?" Luffy asked. "W-what's wrong?! Why are you crying?!"

"…something terrible happened," Nami answered.

The Straw Hats and company glanced at each other in surprise.

XXX

A moment later, Nami had explained everything that happened at Ryugu Palace.

"WHAT?!" Jimbei questioned. "Hody did that?! I had no idea that Ryugu Palace was in danger!"

"What about Zoro, Usopp, and Brook?!" asked Luffy.

"I…I don't know," Nami said. "I was so scared that I ran away before I could find out what happened. I'm sorry, Luffy. It's all my fault."

"Oh, Nami," Luffy said, sympathetically.

"WAAAAAAAH~!" Shirahoshi sobbed. "My Father's been captured?! I don't believe this!"

"Hacchin!" Camie cried as she went to his side. "What happened to you?!"

"Nyuu~," Hachi moaned again.

"I'm sorry," said Jimbei. "You've all been through enough trouble."

"What do you mean, Jimbei?" Luffy asked.

"There's little time," Jimbei began, "but there is something I must tell you. I was very grateful to those who put a stop to Arlong's rampage on the East Blue. It was you, wasn't it Luffy? I thank you."

"I only did it because he made my navigator cry," said Luffy.

"But now, you must allow me to apologize," Jimbei said.

"Jimbei…!" Hachi muttered.

"Eleven years ago," Jimbei started, "the one who released Arlong into the East Blue…was I!"

The Straw Hats gasped in shock upon hearing this news…but none of them are more shocked than Nami, who stared at the sun tattoo on Jimbei's chest.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Author's note: I thought it'd be nice if Luffy hugged Jimbei when they reunited. ^^

Review, please!


	18. The Wonderful Amusement Park

**Ch. 18- The Wonderful Amusement Park**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Moon, and Joe © Me

* * *

At the connecting passageway below Ryugu Palace, Neptune's army are just now escaping through it. As they began to fall towards the island, they used some Bubbly Coral to inflate some bubbles, which caught them, mid-fall.

"How could this happen?!" the Minister of the Left questioned in disbelief. "What kind of people are we, abandoning our king?!"

"Save it for later!" the Minister of the Right cried. "This is King Neptune's order! We must relay a message! We must contact to the princes and gather our forces to return to Ryugu Palace!"

"Yes, sir!" the soldiers shouted.

"The closest city is Fishverly Hills!" exclaimed one of the men.

XXX

In Fishverly Hills on Fishman Island, the whole city is in an uproar. Everyone is screaming in panic, for someone seemed to be causing a ruckus.

"Do as I say-_ich_! _Mucchi_!"

It is revealed to be none other than Ikaros, along with some of the New Fishman Pirates, terrorizing the locals.

"Stop it!" cried one of the citizens. "Aren't you from the Fishman District?!"

"Why are you doing this?!" asked an octopus mermaid.

"What did we do to you?!" asked a Wolf Eel Fishman.

"_Mucchi_!" Ikaros grunted. "Shut up, you whiners! The Ryugu Kingdom belongs to Captain Hody, now-_ich_!"

"What?!" the citizens questioned in shock.

XXX

In the town close to the candy factory, some of the townspeople are also under threat by Daruma and his men.

"Do it, now!" shouted one of the New Fishman Pirates.

"No, please!" cried a Marlin Fishman. "I can't! I can't step on in! Not on HER face! DON'T MAKE ME DO IT!"

"If you can't do it, then that means you wanna be friends with the humans!" Daruma barked. "KYA-KYA! And that makes YOU our ENEMY!"

XXX

At the Fish Cultural Center, Hyouzou is doing some antagonizing of his own.

"It's simple, right~?" he asked, drunkenly. "Step on that picture…or leave this island for good! Now step on the freaking picture! If you won't do either, I'm supposed to kill you. **HIC!**"

"What?!" a Parrot Fish mermaid questioned. "But we can't…!"

XXX

In the Marine Shopping Mall on the west side of Fishman Island, the citizens there are also under being terrorized.

"You want us to leave our homes?!"

"But there's no light anywhere else in the Deep Sea!"

"And we can't live amongst the humans, either!"

"You see?!" Zeo asked as he picked up a Fishman by the throat. "You already know that they're a menace! Peace between humans and Fishman is nothing more than a fantasy! Just shut your mouths and bow before you new king, Hody Jones! We will conquer the humans and change history forever!"

XXX

In Fishman Island's Water Wheel Town, it is revealed that the New Fishman Pirates, led by Dosun, are there, as well, but luckily, someone had finally arrived to put a stop to the nonsense: Prince Fukaboshi himself.

**THWAM!** The prince punched the Hammerhead Shark Fishman right in the jaw.

"Prince Fukaboshi!" the citizens cried, happily.

"Ugh…!" Dosun groaned as he staggered to his feet. "Fukaboshi! How dare you interfere, _dosun_!"

"…Dosun," Fukaboshi said, a hint of venom in his voice as he held what looked like a piece of paper. "What…is…the meaning of this? How dare you make the citizens of this country…STEP ON A PHOTOGRAPH OF MY LATE MOTHER!"

XXX

At Coral Hill, some of the townsfolk are still dumbfounded at why Shirahoshi would leave with Luffy and his friends.

"We let Vander Decken get away," said one of the local Fishmen, "and Princess Shirahoshi was carried off by Straw Hat Luffy right before our very eyes!"

"Didn't she say she'd be back before dinner?" asked another Fishman.

"They obviously forced her to say that!" a mermaid argued. "This is just terrible…what if they sell the princess to the Celestial Dragons?!"

"Hey, wait a minute!" cried another mermaid. "What are we doing just standing here?! There are people from the Fishman District wreaking havoc all over town!"

"What's happened to Ryugu Palace?!" asked a merman. "What's to become of our beloved island?!"

Little did the civilians know that someone happened to right nearby, watching and listening to the whole thing. It is revealed to be none other than Caribou, licking his lips in a wicked manner.

"KIHIHIHI!" he cackled. "I saw that gigantic mermaid! A regular human-sized mermaid fetches at least 70 million in an auction, and that Mermaid Princess is at least seven or times bigger than a regular mermaid! Just thinking about the price she'd bring gives me goose pimples! KIHIHIHIHIHIHIHI!"

XXX

Meanwhile, at the Sea Forest, tensions seemed to be rather high, for Jimbei had just revealed that it was he who let Arlong loose in the East Blue.

Suddenly, **WHAP!** Luffy grabbed Jimbei by his robe and pulled him towards his face, angrily.

"You fat son of a bitch!" Luffy cursed as he reeled back a fist. "Do you have ANY idea what kinda hell you put my navigator through?! I HAVE A RIGHT MIND TO-"

"Luffy!"

Luffy and Jimbei turned and saw Nami, giving the former a rather intense glare.

"Luffy…let him go," Nami said.

"What?!" Luffy questioned. "But Nami, he-"

"I said let him go!" Nami barked.

"B…but-" Luffy started again, but Nami cut him off, once again.

"MONKEY D. LUFFY. LET HIM GO, RIGHT NOW!" Nami shouted. "OR NO MEAT FOR THREE WEEKS!"

Luffy cringed when he heard that, and he, reluctantly, let Jimbei go.

"I don't really wanna beat you up, anyway, Jimbei," he said. "You're my friend and all."

"I understand, Luffy," said Jimbei.

_That was way too close,_ Blizzard thought.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH~!" Shirahoshi sobbed. "FATHEEEEEEEEEEEERR~!"

"Calm yourself, Princess Shirahoshi," said Jimbei. "They can't do anything to the king, yet."

"What?" Shirahoshi asked. "Really?"

"Yes," Jimbei replied. "Now, if you don't mind, I would like some time to speak with Luffy. Rest assured, I will save your father!"

"Please do!" Shirahoshi pleaded.

"My beautiful ladies~!" Sanji swooned as he spun around towards girls, carrying three cups of tea; two smaller ones on his hand and head, and another larger one in his other hand. "Have some tea~!"

"Thanks, Sanji," Nami said, a bit annoyed. "Just put it down. We're talking serious, right now, so straighten up!"

"You're so beautiful when you're stern!" Sanji exclaimed, lovingly.

"Now, Jimbei," Nami said. "What exactly mean that you let Arlong loose in the East Blue?"

"Ugh…Jimbei…" Hachi groaned.

"It's true," Jimbei replied to Nami.

"Yeah, I heard that, too!" Sanji snapped, pointing a finger at Jimbei.

Nami, who decided to give her cup of tea to Luffy, seemed surprised by Sanji's sudden change in behavior.

"That's what Yosaku and Luffy told me the first time we heard your name, Jimbei!" Sanji informed.

_Flashback, 2 years ago; East Blue_

Luffy, Sanji, and Yosaku are on their way to Nami's home island when Yosaku explained to the two Straw Hats who Jimbei is.

"In exchange for becoming one of the Seven Warlords," Yosaku began, "Jimbei released an unholy terror into the East Blue!"

_Flashback end_

"Knowing you, Luffy, you probably forgot, am I wrong?" Sanji asked.

"Oh, yeah!" Luffy said. "Hmm…I wonder how Johnny and Yosaku are doing, nowadays."

"_That's not the point, you idiot!"_ Blizzard barked, slapping a paw against the air.

"I saw in the paper, two years ago, that you and Blizzard were with Jimbei," Sanji continued, "and that's when a huge question came into my head. I always thought that Jimbei was the mastermind behind Arlong being in the East Blue." He then turned to Jimbei.

"Jimbei," he said. "If you want to give us your side of the story, then we're willing to listen. But…let me give you a warning. Our beautiful navigator, Nami's home was completely terrorized by Arlong and his crew. She went through eight years of hell because of what he did!"

Jimbei's eyes went wide.

"Based on what you say…" Sanji said with a hateful glare in his eyes, "…I may NEVER forgive you."

**GULP!** Blizzard and Moon gulped.

"_Man, he's scary,"_ Moon said.

"_You got that right,"_ Blizzard agreed. _"Not as scary as Nami, but still."_

Joe turned to face Hachi, even though he couldn't see him.

"Hachi?" Joe asked. "Is he telling the truth? Did Arlong really make you torment that poor girl?"

"…yes, Joe," answered a regretful Hachi. "The things we did to Nami…the anguish we caused her…is completely unforgivable. Nyuu~!"

Nami looked down as all the memories of her cruel past came back to her.

_Flashback; Nami's past; 12 years ago_

An eight-year-old Nami showed Bellemere her very first drawn map of her home island.

"You wanna make a map of the world, Nami?" Bellemere asked.

"That's wonderful!" Bellemere said. "In that case, this map of our island is the first step towards that dream!"

_Fast forward; The Arlong Pirates' arrival_

"Hello, human filth!" Arlong bellowed. "This island now belongs to the Arlong Pirates! SHAHAHAHAHAHA~!"

_Fast forward; Bellemere's death_

Genzo tried to hold Nami and Nojiko back as Bellemere fearlessly stood before Arlong, who pointed a gun right at her skull.

"Now…" the Saw-Tooth Shark Fishman said, wickedly, "…die for you foolish love!"

"BELLEMERE, NO!" Nami cried, tearfully.

"BELLEMERE~!" Nojiko sobbed.

**BANG!** With one pull of the trigger, Arlong fired the gun…and Bellemere soon fell to the ground in a heap…dead.

"BELLEMEEEEEEEEEERE~!" Nami and Nojiko cried as they witnessed the death of their mother.

_Fast forward; one year later_

Nami had been pushed to the floor after she tried to get her dinner from Arlong's men. Once she was down, the cruel Fishmen dropped her food on the floor.

"No food for you, you stupid human girl!" one of the pirates laughed. "Now get to work on those sea charts! On the double!"

**Gurgle~!** A loud growling emanated from Nami's stomach.

That night, Nami is at her desk, drawing another one of her maps for Arlong…but she quietly sobbed and sniffled as she worked. Some of her tears even fell on her map, staining it, but she didn't care. All she knew is that even if she cried, Arlong and his crew would show no pity. They just wanted her to draw her maps and nothing else.

"Bellemere…Nojiko…!" Nami sobbed.

_Fast forward; 3 years later_

"Stop, thief!"

"Give us back our treasure!"

A twelve-year-old Nami panted as she ran down a nearby alley, carrying a bag of loot in her arms. She was clearly tired, but she didn't stop running, for not too far behind her is a band of pirates.

"Wait, boss!" cried one of them. "That's just a kid!"

"Who cares?!" the pirate captain questioned, angrily. "Pump her full of lead!"

**BANG! BANG! BANG!** The pirates drew their pistols and opened fire on Nami.

About an 30 minutes later, Nami finally lost the pirates…but in the end, she got shot in the arm.

"Only…70 million…to go," Nami panted as she clutched her wound.

_Fast forward; 2 days later_

Nami has returned to Arlong Park with the treasure she had stolen, and is greeted by Arlong.

"You're back," Arlong said. "But then again, you've got nowhere else to go. Welcome home…great navigator. SHAHAHAHAHAHA~!"

_Flashback end_

Nami chewed her lip as that familiar cackling repeated itself in her head. She almost looked close to tears when suddenly, she felt a gentle hand placing itself on her shoulder. She turned to see Luffy, a concerned expression on his face. Without a word, he pulled her into a tight embrace. Nami screwed her eyes shut, trying hard to hide her pain, but she returned Luffy's hug.

"_That poor girl,"_ Moon said.

"_I know,"_ Blizzard said. _"When Luffy first told me, I couldn't believe it, either."_

"Nami-chin…" Camie muttered.

"It appears that you have endured a great deal," Jimbei said to Nami.

"Is that all you have to say?!" Sanji questioned, angrily.

Nami pulled away from Luffy and turned to face Jimbei once again.

"Yes, I have," she answered. "After all I that time…after all I went through, I still wouldn't pity Arlong, no matter what happened to him. But…"

"But?" Jimbei repeated, inquisitively.

"Before I first came to the Sabaody Archipelago with Luffy and the others," Nami began, "I never would've guessed that the mighty Fishmen had been persecuted by humans. Then those kidnappers caught Camie. I could hardly believe my eyes…when I first laid my eyes on Sabaody Park…it was almost exactly like the Arlong Park that Arlong built in my village!"

Hachi glanced at Nami, moaning in pain.

"He always did admire it," Hachi said. "I'm not saying this because I want you to forgive me, Nami. Arlong really hated the human race. We went way too far…but…when we were kids, we always envied the humans and how they lived."

"It's true," Joe said. "Sometimes, we would sneak out at night, way passed our curfew, and we'd to the shore of the Sabaody Archipelago to watch the Ferris wheel. I may not be able to see it, but I could always listen to that wonderful amusement park's music."

"Until 200 years ago," Hachi began, "Fishmen and merfolk were categorized as 'fish' rather than people. When the kingdom of Ryugu joined the World Government 200 years ago, we made peace with the humans, and the kind was allowed to join the Reverie World Council…but the humans to continued to hate Fishmen."

Den stood silently as Hachi continued to explain the strife of the Fishmen.

"The worst time of all," Jimbei started, "was when the Great Pirate Era began. Human pirates wreaked havoc on the island. I remember it as if it were yesterday! The late Whitebeard was our savior."

"_This island belongs to me, now!"_ Whitebeard's words boomed in Jimbei's head.

"He restored to peace to the island," Jimbei said, "but that doesn't mean that the humans stopped hating us!"

"Nyuu~…" Hachi groaned.

"It's almost ironic, isn't it?" Jimbei asked. "Those with the greatest power fear change the most. The core of the Government decided to join hands with the Fishmen, but even then, under the surface…the roots of their racism still runs deep."

Chopper stared silently as he ground up some medicine in his mortar.

"On Fishman Island," Jimbei started, "two people tried to change the tragic course of history. One of them was Queen Otohime. She tried to convince the citizens of Fishman Island to live in peace with the humans. She was Shirahoshi's mother."

"I see," Nami said as she looked over to the tomb that Shirahoshi was sitting in front of, earlier. "Then who was the other person?"

"The other," Jimbei replied, "was Fisher Tiger, the legendary hero who freed the slaves. He insisted on setting himself apart from the humans. He rose up and broke the great taboo by attacking Mariejois all by himself and freeing all the slaves!"

"Hmm," Luffy hummed, putting his thumb to his chin. "Something Tiger…why does that name sound familiar?"

"_Luffy, Fisher Tiger was the guy who saved Hancock and her sisters from slavery, remember?"_ Blizzard asked.

"Oh, yeah!" Luffy said.

"After that," Jimbei said, "he took the Fishmen who had been slaves and formed the Sun Pirates!" He then pulled back his robe, revealing the sun tattoo on his chest. "Arlong, Hachi, and I were among their ranks."

"What about Joe over there?" Luffy asked. "He's got the same mark, right? Wasn't he a pirate, too?"

"Fisher Tiger offered me a position on his crew," Joe answered, "but…I had to turn him down. I would only hold him and the rest of the Sun Pirates back. I still bear this mark, though, out of gratefulness to Fisher Tiger for freeing me."

"Anyway," Jimbei said, "having defied the Government, the Fishman Pirates hindered Queen Otohime's efforts to unite with the humans. While the queen endured the pains of the present to make a better and brighter future for her subjects…Fisher Tiger threw away his future to save his enslaved brethren. I'm not sure which of them was right…but…"

"_Enemy ship sighted!"_ a voice shouted in his memory.

_Flashback; The Grand Line, 15 years ago_

In the Grand Line, there is a pirate ship sailing the dangerous waters, when suddenly, someone comes rushing into the captain's stateroom.

It is revealed to be a younger Hachi, wearing a vest with his hair done up in a ponytail.

"Captain! Captain!" Hachi cried. "I see an enemy ship! Captain! Captain! CAPTAIN!"

Inside the stateroom, it is revealed that there is a younger Arlong, Chew, Kuroobi, Macro, and other Fishmen, plus one merman, in the room. However, the most noticeable figure of all had to be the Fishman sitting at the desk.

He had round eyes, salmon pink-colored skin, wide lips with slight peach fuzz, a thick, dark beard and sideburns, and a spiky dorsal fin on the back of his head, sprouting from underneath his long, curly hair. He has a red sun branded on his chest. He was wearing a camouflage pattern shirt and matching bandana on his head, plus a mahogany captain's coat draped on his shoulders like a cape.

This was none other than Fisher Tiger, a Sea Bream Fishman, captain of the Sun Pirates, and the one who saved Hancock and her sisters from slavery.

"Shut up, Hachi," Arlong grumbled.

"What's all the noise about?" Tiger asked.

"Captain Tiger!" Hachi cried. "We got trouble!"

"Is it the Marines again?" Tiger asked him, grimly.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Review, please!


	19. Otohime and Tiger

**Ch. 19- Otohime and Tiger**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Joe and Maxine © Me

* * *

_Flashback; Fishman Island; 16 Years Ago_

It was supposed to be a peaceful day in Coral Hill's Port Town. Everyone is going about, minding their own business and what not…until…

"HEY! STOP, THIEF! COME BACK HERE!"

A shopkeeper came out of his store, pointing an accusing finger at an escaping robber.

"Someone, stop him!" he shouted. "That guy stole all my money!"

Not too far away, a Fishman wearing a purple ski mask with yellow polka dots, armed with a handgun and holding a young mermaid under his arm was running away from the scene.

"Stay outta my way!" the robber shouted. "I've got a gun and a hostage, too!"

"Someone, help!" the mermaid cried.

The crowd gasped as they quickly scrambled out of the way.

At that moment, the Neptune Soldiers had arrived to take care of the situation…but they weren't alone. As they ran to the scene of the crime, a mermaid suddenly dashed passed them.

"Wait! Your Majesty!" cried one of the soldiers. "Come back! You mustn't get involved in matters such as these! This is our job!"

"Wait! Queen Otohime, stop!" cried another soldier.

Up ahead, the robber sees the mermaid, but doesn't seem to recognize her face.

"Huh?! Who the hell are you?!" he questioned. "Stay back, or I'll shoot!"

The mermaid continued to charge at him, much to his ire.

"Fine!" the robber shouted. "But I warned you!"

Nearby, a shark-toothed mermaid covered her ears and screamed. **BANG! BANG!** The robber fired his gun at the mermaid who is rushing him, but she somehow managed to dodge the bullets, as if she knew when they were going to hit.

"What the?!" the robber questioned in disbelief.

**SWAK!** The mermaid slapped the robber right across his face, but then…she started to scream in pain as she clutched her hand, which appeared to be injured.

"MY HAND~!" she cried.

"YOU'RE INJURED?!" the townsfolk questioned.

"Quick! Someone get a doctor!" a local Fishman shouted.

The mermaid is revealed to be none other than Queen Otohime, the wife of King Neptune and the mother of Fukaboshi, Ryuboshi, Manboshi, and Shirahoshi. Unlike her husband and children, Otohime was a regular human-sized Goldfish Mermaid. She had golden-blonde hair that was partially held up in two loops, like Shirahoshi's hairstyle but much shorter, and her hair was held by an orange hairpiece in the shape of a steering wheel, and she has beautiful emerald eyes, as well as pink lipstick.

She wore a very long, white kimono with a cream-colored carp-scale design along the hem and a sash around her shoulders that floated behind her head much like her children do. Also, although it couldn't really be seen through her robes, it appeared her tail had split in two, so it appeared that she was at least in her thirties.

At that moment, one of the royal doctors appeared to Otohime's aid.

"You have a compound fracture!" the doctor exclaimed.

"I don't care!" Otohime shouted.

By this time, the whole crowd began to gather.

"Queen Otohime, are you all right?!" asked one of the townsfolk.

"Queen Otohime!" cried another.

"Why on earth would you do something as senseless as robbery?!" Otohime questioned the robber.

"Shut up!" the robber snapped, aiming his pistol at Otohime. "You royal bastards wallow in your own luxury! What do you know about the hardships of life?! I GOT TEN FREAKING MOUTHS TO FEED!"

**SWAK! SWAK!** Otohime slapped the guard even more.

"That's all the more reason not to commit such a crime!" she argued.

"Your Majesty!" shouted the Minister of the Right, whose hair appeared much darker than it does in the present. "Please, you must stop! Your body is much more fragile than the average person's!"

As he said this, Otohime's bloody hand shivered in pain.

"I do not care!" Otohime retorted. "This is for him, even if my hand completely shatters!" She then turned to the robber.

"You…do you honestly think that your children…WOULD WANT TO BE RAISED ON STOLEN MONEY?!" the queen questioned as she slapped him again. **SWAK! SWAK!** At this point, the robber's cheeks began to bleed.

"You mustn't force your children to live in shame!" Otohime shouted…before she started to sniffle. "But…I owe you an apology, as well."

At that moment, her tears came at full force, much to the surprise of the robber, as well as the entire crowd.

"I'm so sorry!" Otohime apologized, tearfully. "You are my subject, and yet I failed to notice your pain! The cry for help from your heart…cuts deep inside me like a knife! Oh…you must've suffered dreadfully to be driven to commit such a crime!"

A pause…but then the robber broke down in tears.

"Ugh…I DIDN'T WANNA DO IT, DAMMIT!" he cursed, tearfully. "But…I had no choice! I was a victim of arson! My shop was burned to the ground! All my money was stolen! The were no jobs available! My debts kept piling up and my poor kids were getting hungrier by the day! What kind of father would I be if I let them starve to death~?!"

Before long, the crowd, touched by the robber's story, began to break down in tears as well.

"Even so…YOU CANNOT STEAL!" Otohime shouted as she slapped the robber again. "If you do, then you become part of the vicious cycle! The chain of misfortune and wrongdoing!"

"I'm sorry!" the robber cried.

"But still…I apologize! It's our fault as the island's rulers for failing you!"

"I don't deserve such compassion! Really!"

After at least ten minutes of sobbing and slapping, the Neptune Soldiers managed to apprehend the robber…but even then, they were still tearful about the robber's story and Otohime's compassion.

"I've had a change of heart!" the robber declared with a smile. "Thank you so much for crying for me, your majesty!"

"You're very welcome!" Otohime cried, her right arm now in a cast and sling. "Take care of yourself!"

As the Neptune Soldiers took the robber away, the townsfolk watched as they wiped away their tears.

"It's already unprecedented for a member of the Royal Family to leave Ryugu Palace and mingle with us commoners," said one of the townspeople.

"But this Good Queen Otohime cries for individual subjects," said another citizen.

"She is certainly extraordinary," said an elderly Fishman. "There's not other queen like Queen Otohime."

"She is the embodiment of love," said a young Fishman. "All the children love her. Just look!"

At that moment, three kids ran up to Otohime, and the young boy in the middle had a runny nose.

"Queen Otohime~!" he cheered.

Otohime glared at the boy and shouted, "You have snot dripping from your nose, young man! For your own sake, I will slap you!"

**SWAK!** Otohime slapped the child across the face, much to the townspeople's shock.

"You look like a fool with only one nostril running!" Otohime said as she knelt down and pulled the boy into an embrace. "If you're going to have a runny nose, then you should do it right!"

"Queen Otohime~!" the boy sobbed.

The townspeople clapped their hands and cheered at this.

"How touching…" said one of the townsfolk.

"Seriously?" asked another in disbelief.

Yes, Queen Otohime was indeed the passionate embodiment of love…

"Citizens, hear me! We will move Ryugu Kingdom to the surface world!"

…and she went out and called to her subjects, every day.

"'Their skin is a different color! They're not like us!'" Otohime exclaimed. "We can't just wait for the humans who say such words to come around. We must go to them!"

Otohime stood in the town square, surrounded by her citizens. Not just that, but a few of the Neptune Soldiers had gone out to escort her…one of them is a much younger looking Jimbei. His hair is still a bit gray in certain parts, but it is longer and spikier, and he didn't have the scar on his eye yet.

Jimbei sat silently, blowing his bubble pipe as he watched Otohime speak.

"Bear this in mind!" Otohime continued. "The humans who do come to this island are of the 'pirate' variety! The humans who buy us merfolk from the human traffickers are the powerful kind known as aristocrats! We have only come into contact with a very small group of humans! There is still so much we do not know about them! I implore you, we must move this kingdom to the surface! To a place under the real sun!"

**FWUP!** She then held up several sheets of paper in one stack.

"During the reverie, which will be held this year," she continued, "we must announce our desire to emigrate! I need each and every citizen to sign the petition!"

There was a long pause, and Otohime noticed that the crowd seemed to hesitate.

"I know I should," said a Fishman in the crowd, "but…"

Jimbei heaved a sigh.

"What's the use?" he questioned to no one in particular. "History has already given us the answer."

XXX

Later that day, Otohime arrived back at Ryugu Palace, where she is greeted by the sound of a wailing infant.

"I'm home, my little ones!" Otohime declared.

"Welcome home, Mother!" cried the Neptune Princes, who held out their pinkies to their mother. They are soon joined by another pinkie…a giant one.

It belonged to none other than baby Shirahoshi, who sobbed and wailed as all infants do. Even as a baby, Shirahoshi is at least three times her mother's size.

(A/N: I don't even wanna know how she gave birth to a baby THAT BIG. XD)

"Ah, Shirahoshi," Otohime sighed as she rested her head against her only daughter's chest, right where her heart is. "You always bring your mother such peace of mind. I'm so sorry I was late. Oh, look. Only one side of your nose is running…but even so, you're still as adorable as ever!"

"We were looking after her, like you told us, Mother!" a younger Fukaboshi said. "You don't have to worry as long as we're here!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Ryuboshi agreed.

"Thank you, my dear Princes," said Otohime. "You are such good brothers to Shirahoshi."

"Oh, Mother!" Manboshi cried. "Your hand! Are you all right?"

"Worry not for me," said Otohime. "As your Mother…I am going to forge a bright future for you and all our subjects. This, I promise."

Meanwhile, in the throne room, the Minister of the Left is meeting with Neptune.

"I mean no disrespect, Your Majesty," said the Minister of the Left, "but if Queen Otohime is going to make speeches, she should use the transmitters instead, not go out in public where her safety is at risk!"

"It's her natural Color of Observation Haki-_jamon_," said Neptune. "Otohime insists on being close enough that her voice can touch the people's hearts. Not even I can stop her."

"But there are human pirates landing on the island as we speak," the Minister of the Left pointed out. "We may be under the protection of Your Majesty's friend, the mighty Whitebeard, but even so, we must still take precautions!"

"Otohime is prepared for anything," Neptune noted. "Minister of the Left, the world Otohime dreams of…is exactly like…the one our forefathers sought to create, centuries ago. She is trying so hard to achieve what they did!"

As he said this, a mental image of the _Noah_ appeared.

"What are you saying, Your Majesty?" asked the Minister of the Left.

"…I cannot stop Otohime," said Neptune, "so you must protect her-_jamon!_"

The Minister of the Left appeared surprised by this statement, but then he nodded his head.

XXX

One day, in Coral Hill…someone is causing a commotion.

"Give that back, you hoodlum!" shouted a young mermaid. "That's mine! How many petitions do you need, anyway?!"

"All of them!" said the perpetrator. "SHAHAHAHAHA! I mean, really! What good will these lousy pieces of paper do you, anyway?!"

"Hey!" shouted a Neptune Soldier. "Leave that girl alone! Give her back that paper! Aren't you Arlong from the Fishman District?!"

It is soon revealed that the perpetrator was indeed Arlong, who back then was dressed in an A-shirt, a bowler hat, and a pair of light-colored loose trousers that reached down below his knees, and it appeared that he already wears the straw anklets and sandals that he wears in the present day.

Arlong turned to the Neptune Soldier, grabbed him by the throat, and then held him up above the ground.

"Well…you're almost right about that," said Arlong, who looked dangerously close to strangling the poor guard. "I am Captain Arlong of the Arlong Pirates! I make my living feeding off that inferior race that can't even breathe underwater like we can! I'm doing you Neptune Army bastards a favor hunting down those pirates for you! You should be giving me a huge reward! SHAHAHAHAHA!"

Jimbei, who happened to be sitting nearby blowing his bubble pipe at the time, looked over at Arlong with a surly look.

"Hey!" cried the Neptune Soldier. "Big Boss Jimbei! Do something! Help me, please!"

"Jimbei?" Arlong questioned as he looked over to the Fishman in question.

"Let go of that rookie, hoodlum," said Jimbei. "He's with me. I don't give the slightest damn about the petitions, but they mean a lot to Queen Otohime, so hand them over."

The crowd around them suddenly broke into cheers.

"It's Big Boss Jimbei of the Neptune Army!"

"Thank goodness!"

"We're saved!"

"SHAHAHAHAHA!" Arlong cackled. "'Big Boss', eh?! Nice title! It's not every day someone sees a soldier like you! You look more like you belong in the mafia!"

"…I said put him down, Arlong," Jimbei said with a sneer. "RIGHT NOW."

Arlong dropped his toothy grin and glared back at Jimbei.

"Rrgh…fine!" he growled as he roughly threw the Neptune Soldier to the ground, followed by the petitions he attempted to steal. "And take your damn papers, too!"

He then looked to Jimbei.

"Why are you acting like such a prick, Jimbei?!" Arlong questioned. "I know it's been a while, but don't forget that we're all orphan brothers from the Fishman District! We're all comrades, remember?!"

"I'm nothing like you, pirate scumbag," said Jimbei.

"Ah, come on!" Arlong said. "Don't call me that!"

"Fine," Jimbei huffed. "How about 'garbage'?"

"Hey!" someone shouted. "The great adventurer, Fisher Tiger, has returned!"

At that moment, Jimbei's and Arlong's moods turned from irritation to excitement.

"Big Brother Tiger has returned?!" Jimbei questioned.

"B-Big Brother?!" asked Arlong.

At that moment, Fisher Tiger approached the two.

Back then, Tiger wore a dark olive bandana around his head and a dark blue T-shirt with a picture portraying a pink hippo with a gaping mouth on it which reads "Frog? No- Hippo". He also wore a pair of plain pants held up by a belt and a pair of simple sandals. He also has on a large backpack with many pockets and a coil of rope attached to it.

Upon his appearance, the whole town broke into even more cheers. They even threw confetti into the air to celebrate his return!

"Jimbei! Arlong!" Tiger exclaimed, happily. "You two are looking very well!"

"It's Tiger!" cried one of the townsfolk.

"Hey! Tell us about your adventures!" said another.

"This voyage has certainly been a long one, eh, Brother?" Jimbei asked.

"Yes, indeed!" Tiger replied, placing his hands on bother Jimbei's and Arlong's shoulders. "Not to mention eventful! Now, if you two will excuse me, I have business at Ryugu Palace."

"Wait! You gotta let me show you my ship, first!" said Arlong. "You just got back, for goodness sake!"

A long time ago, the Fishman District was once a giant orphanage, but as time went by, it fell into chaos and the managers of the orphanage lost control. It became a lawless area where outcasts from all around Fishman Island gathered. At the time, Fisher Tiger was in charge of the Fishman District, but he soon sailed off in search of adventure. Jimbei was his second-in-command, and he became one of King Neptune's elite soldiers. Arlong was the fiercest of all the orphans, and he grew up to become a pirate who terrorized the seafloor with his crew. Makuro had become a cheat and a kidnapper.

They all went their separate ways.

But then, one day, a major incident occurred that made everyone wonder! It was Fisher Tiger's infamous raid on the sacred land of Mariejois. After that, he was hailed as the hero who had freed the slaves and reviled as the greatest criminal in the world.

"Fisher Tiger has defeated the Celestial Dragons!" the townsfolk would exclaim.

With the World Government after Fisher Tiger's head, the citizen of the Fishman District gathered and rose up to defend him with their very lives. Jimbei resigned from the Neptune Army, and the Arlong Pirates joined up with Fisher Tiger as well. Also, so that the liberated slaves might be able to blend in more easily, everyone received the sun brand that covered the brands of the slaves.

There was only one who refused his offer: Joe, who happened to be one of the many slaves whom Tiger had freed.

Tiger stood in front of Joe, who back then wore a green A-shirt and a pair of dark blue trousers with light yellow polka dots on them, although he still wears the sunglasses and sandals he wears today, as well as his cane. His hair was longer and styled into a mullet at the time, as well.

By his side is a little Regal Blue Tang Mermaid girl with her hair covering the left half of her face, wearing a dark green shirt, and using a bubble as a flotation device.

"Are you sure you don't want to come, Joe?" asked Tiger.

"Brother Tiger, trust me," Joe said. "I'd love to go with you, but I can't. I'm blind as a bat, so I'd only hold you back. Besides, my Dad's in the hospital, so someone has to stay here and help my Mom take care of my Maxine, here."

"I understand," said Tiger. "Take care, Joe."

"I will," Joe replied before he went back into the house.

"Bye-bye, Mr. Tiger!" said Maxine before she followed her brother inside.

And with that…the Sun Pirates had formed.

Marine battleships kept attacking, but were sunk one after another. Take right now, for example.

The Sun Pirates were under attack by the Marines, but the enemy soon found that they were easily overpowered.

"Hold it right there, Arlong!" shouted Tiger. "He's already unconscious!"

Arlong threw down an unconscious Marine and pinned him to the deck of their ship.

"It's legal to own slaves," said Jimbei as he held up the Marine Commodore by the collar of his shirt, "but freeing them is a crime! So tell me, Queen Otohime…how can you still tell us to love humans?"

It is soon revealed that all the Marines have been defeated, and the Sun Pirates roared in victory.

The onslaught of the Sun Pirates…went on.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Sooo...yeah, I'm very sorry I haven't been updating in a while. A lot of things came up, but at least I updated this story, and hopefully, I'll be able to upload another chapter of the Tale of Princess Nami, too.

Review, please!


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